Bad Blood, Adam & Ava (Only Lovers Left Alive)
by EarthAngelGirl30
Summary: A short, Ava x Adam story (Only Lovers Left Alive) Following his break-up with Eve, Adam seeks solace from vaguely familiar surroundings. Having left everything behind, he is hungry and broken, but a face from the past unexpectedly arrives to offer him a safe haven. Forced to face unresolved issues from the past, will he find comfort from the one person he least expects to?
1. Chapter 1

**_Part One; Heathrow to Highgate_**

Several heads were turned by the tall, lean figure of the man clad entirely in black, as he wound his way through the crowd at Heathrow.

It was nighttime, yet he wore black sunglasses. Which served to shield his glacial eyes from the blinding indoor lighting, and the sea of unknown faces moving like an unseen current as they flowed by. He strode on purposefully through the terminal, his movements brusque. Not stopping at the baggage carousel to collect luggage, as there was no need. He had none to collect, and for a fleeting moment he actually felt relieved for not having to linger amidst the horde of zombies, and the noise and smells which combined to assault his senses.

His heart raced, still feeling the thrum of the engine and vibration of the plane beneath his skin.

The sound of trolley wheels whirring on the concrete marble floor, and the almost robotic voice over the public announcement system filled his ears. The endless calling for passengers to make their way from departure lounges to various gates in order to board, droned on mechanically. The inane chattering of excitable travellers, enthused by the prospect of exotic destinations and the promise of escape. This was the kind of freedom that only came from airports, to the zombies at least.

But not Adam. He did not feel the sense of excitement one feels when coming home. Yet home he was, and it filled him with nothing but dread which weighed heavily upon him like a death sentence.

Dirty, gritty London.

Stepping out through the sliding glass doors into the cold night air, he exhaled shakily. Breathing in the smell of jet fuel, hot asphalt and car exhaust, which replaced the mixed scents of the fading perfume women had been wearing, and restaurant coffee.

He began walking again, moving passed the queue of people loitering outside waiting for taxis.

Disorientated by this alien aeroplane world, he searched for a means of escape on foot. He had no desire to hail a taxi or catch a bus, for several reasons. But the most predominant one being, he had no destination in mind. There wasn't anywhere for him to go.

Unable to locate a route designated for pedestrians, he followed what appeared to be a bus road. Up ahead, his keen eyes spotted a three foot high concrete barricade, and beyond that lay a desolate space, a potential way out of the airport jungle.

Lost in his thoughts, he initially failed to notice the car that came speeding along the road, until it came to an abrupt halt, it's tyres throwing up gravel as it pulled up alongside him just as he was negotiating hopping over the barrier, which would provide little resistance to his long, agile legs and supernatural speed.

Turning his head slowly, he surveyed the maroon coloured vehicle. This was no taxi or regular run of the mill zombiemobile, this was a distinctly classic British car, the model he immediately recognised as a Jaguar Mark 2. A beautiful piece of auto machinery which both captured and held his attention.

...Which was precisely what she had intended...

Leaning over from the drivers seat, the woman strained to crank the passenger window down.

"Well, hello you..."

Her sing-song voice rang out, resounding around his head, rendering him temporarily paralysed with shock.

It was her. She'd come back. Yet again. Like a ghost from the past that refused to be exorcised, and once more the demonic spirit had returned to haunt him.

"Ava..."

Her name tumbled passed his teeth and out of his mouth before he could prevent himself from speaking. Her name on his lips made him want to spit. Everything about this wicked, irksome and infuriatingly beautiful creature was poisonous. But he was by now, and certainly in his present state of mind, immune to her venom.

Quickly he regained his senses, and when he spoke his tone was perceptibly cold,

"...what the fuck are you doing here?"

Ava made a pouty face, feigning hurt,

"Now is that any way to greet your sister-in-law? It's been so long-"

"Not long enough!"

He snapped, his nostrils flaring slightly with indignation,

"You need to crawl back under your rock and stay there, and leave me be."

Impatiently he turned his back on her and prepared to vault the barrier into the vast wasteland that lay beyond it.

"Adam, don't be silly. One does not simply walk out of the grounds of Heathrow..."

She giggled to herself, as if this was either a joke that had gone over his head, or common knowledge. Perhaps it was both,

"..and it's miles to Hatton Cross."

"What?"

"That's the nearest tube station, and you're going the wrong way."

"And why would I take advice from the person who is using a road specifically designated for the use of buses?"

He quipped dismissively.

She sighed heavily,

"You'll never make that distance...especially when you haven't had a drink."

His head snapped up at her words, his jaw tightening as he desperately tried not to dwell upon his thirst. It had been several hours since he'd consumed the remaining contents of his flask, and the hunger, the incessant need for blood was beginning to take it's toll.

"Do you have any?"

He asked reluctantly, momentarily despising himself for enquiring.

She smiled wryly at him, sensing his resistance wavering,

"Not with me, at the house."

He scoffed openly at her now, a crooked smirk which was uncharacteristic of the man whom she hadn't seen crack a smile in centuries, pulled at the corners of his mouth,

"If you honestly believe I'd go anywhere with you, then you'd be the fool I've always taken you for."

"And what is your alternative?"

She fired back persuasively,

"Do you intend to feed off some London guttersnipe? That's what you call them isn't it? What's happened to you Adam? You used to loathe the old way, so why would you risk contamination when I've got some really good stuff back at mine?"

He absentmindedly licked his lips at the very thought of devouring some pure, untainted O negative. His fingers had begun tingling inside his black leather gloves, the initial onset of the withdrawal symptoms, well over an hour ago. And now it had escalated to the sensation of his own blood quivering through his ancient veins, making him feel like a snow globe which had been shaken up vigorously and then set back down.

And in that moment, he made the decision. One of which he knew he would most probably later live to regret. But what did he have to lose? Nothing. He'd already lost it all.

Apprehensively he approached the car, and opened the passenger door with his trembling hand.

"If you're intending to lead me on some kind of wild goose chase, you'll fucking regret it."

He warned as he climbed inside.

"Oh Adam, can you not just trust me?"

She smiled, triumphantly. Not bothering to hide her elation for having coaxed him into the car.

"No."

He replied bluntly,

"You and I both know that I did once. You abused that trust, and like my good opinion, once lost, it's lost forever."

Pulling away from the kerb, she crunched the gears and sped away. Ignoring the way in which he flinched at the sound of the gearbox grinding.

Dear, sweet Adam. He never really altered. Here he was, alone and abandoned with no place to go, in a city that he once called home but had since changed to the point of being barely recognisable. Yet her mistreatment of the vintage vehicle still bothered him, despite the fact that it should've been the least of his concerns.

"Nice car.."

He muttered, for want of something better to say as they joined the M25 motorway,

"...1963, sports saloon, 3.4 engine.."

"I knew you'd appreciate it's beauty."

She remarked with a giggle,

"No doubt you're envious of me for owning such a thing."

"Not envious. I'm more inclined to wonder how on earth you came by it."

"Why are you surprised? Did Eve not tell you I'm a woman of substance now?"

Visibly bristling at the mention of his estranged wife's name, he stiffened in his seat,

"She mentioned something about you marrying some wealthy zombie. Your heir hunting came as no great surprise, but prostituting yourself with one of their kind just so you could secure a fortune is beyond the pale...even for you."

"Oh Adam you're such a condescending snob. Do you believe I'm incapable of falling in love?"

She glanced at him, and gave him a poignant look, which he appeared to register but refused to acknowledge.

"So you married for love? And the fact that he was heir to a fortune was just a fortunate and happy coincidence?"

"I'm not arguing with you."

"That's a first."

"Oh shut up will you. I cared about him, that was enough."

"Wow. Who said romance was dead?"

He jibed. But this was not playful banter. His scathing remarks were cruelly meant,

"As dead as he himself is, right? And as much as I detest the zombies, please tell me you didn't kill him?"

"No I didn't!"

She protested, her voice raising by several octaves,

"It was a skiing accident, for your information."

"How tragic."

"Give me a break..."

"Like the kind your dearly departed endured?"

He ploughed on remorselessly, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

"You're not funny. I can't believe you'd think me capable of murdering my own husband."

He turned to stare out of the window,

"I wouldn't put anything passed you."

They journeyed on in awkward silence, a tense atmosphere having somehow descended in the car. It made him feel almost claustrophobic. Trapped and suffocated by the confines of the metal contraption, and the presence of a woman who made the hair rise at the nape of his neck.

An ominous feeling of foreboding gathered around him like an impending storm, which threatened to break at any given time. Even the air within the car seemed to have thickened somehow.

The motorway at last gave way to suburban streets, and he caught sight of the sign for Hampstead. As he continued to gaze out at the twinkling yellow streetlights, his mind inadvertently wandered back to the last time he'd visited Hampstead Heath. Before London became an ugly concrete jungle. No doubt the view from Parliament hill would be much changed, the millions of twinkling yellow streetlights of the city now resembling a jewellery box. He contemplated the possibility of them affording a certain charm to the urban decay and degradation.

"There's a hole in the ground like a great black pit, and the vermin of the world inhabit it...and it's morals aren't worth what a pig can spit. And it goes by the name of London."

He pondered aloud.

He vaguely became aware of Ava tutting, pulling his focus back to the present,

"You really are a buzzkill Adam."

"Well I'm sorry for not being as jovial as the usual company you keep.."

He replied distractedly,

"...what were you even doing looking for me anyway? Wouldn't you rather be hanging out with your zombie friends? No doubt you're quite the socialite now you've come into money-"

"I spoke to Eve..."

She announced, her proclamation silencing him instantly,

"...she told me you'd left, so I checked online for inbound night flights from Tangier."

"How did you know I'd come here? I never told her where I was going."

She shot him a knowing smile, the likes of which made him feel deeply uncomfortable. Because in spite of her irresponsible and often immature, devil-may-care attitude, there was a gentler, more serious side to Ava. Which surfaced occasionally, at times such as this, and it caused his guts to twist into knots.

"I know you, Adam..."

She said gently, fixing him with her large expressive eyes that made her appear like an uninhibited child,

"...whether you like it or not."

He shifted awkwardly in his seat, and focused again on the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings outside that whizzed by in a blur.

He could still feel her eyes on him, scrutinising him, so he pretended to be oblivious, whilst she continued to survey every line and curve of his angular face. From his high-arched cheekbones, the likes of which one could probably cut glass with, to his straight-lined nose and sharp jawline...she knew that beautiful face so well. His appearance had never altered that much. Their supernatural genetics had him frozen in time like a crystallised rose, beautiful and never fading. But she still admired him each time he was in close proximity like this, even though she'd studied his features well enough to know his profile by heart. His stunning eyes of marbled glass remained hidden though, behind his dark sunglasses, preventing her from seeing what lay behind them. Most likely hurt, she surmised. Beyond the tired, red rims, would be the look of betrayal and heartbreak. She still couldn't quite believe that her sister had thrown away a love that had endured so many centuries. How could Eve have thrown away...him? She knew she shouldn't really attempt to broach the subject with him, especially now whilst it was still raw. And their own volatile relationship still so strained and uncertain, but tact and diplomacy was something she no longer practiced, so she could no longer refrain from asking the inevitable question,

"So, what happened?"

A lengthy pause ensued, until finally he responded begrudgingly,

"You spoke to Eve, surely she told you the sordid details? I've been replaced, it's as simple as that really."

"Don't say that, you're irreplaceable."

"Well clearly your sister isn't of that opinion."

"I'm pretty sure it'll all blow over, you guys will work it out. Your love for each other is unshakable."

"Not anymore.."

He argued, a notable air of defiance in his smooth voice. His tone was tinged with sadness yet he spoke as if he'd already accepted the hand of fate which had been dealt him, and wasn't prepared to demand a reshuffle.

"All at once everything, the next minute nothing...love really is as fragile as that."

His words caused an ache to stir somewhere deep in the cavity of her chest,

"The guy she turned, that's the new beau, right? Well, he may be younger than you but he won't be as handsome."

She babbled clumsily, and for a moment she could've sworn she heard his teeth grinding.

"Are we almost there?"

He demanded impatiently, his head now lolling back against the seat. It was almost just as much of an effort to lift it, as it was to keep conversing with her. Briefly he allowed his eyes to drift shut, his acute senses taking over. He listened to the soft hum of the engine, and the scent of the leather upholstery and Ava herself filled his nostrils. She always smelt the same. Soft and flowery, like a spring meadow, which was quite at odds with her overbearing personality.

"We're just around the corner."

She was saying now.

Opening one heavy eyelid, he peered out into the darkness, lifting his sunglasses in order to get a clearer look outside,

"Highgate..."

He raised a dark eyebrow,

"...you live in Highgate? How very bohemian of you."

Giggling girlishly, she appeared genuinely pleased by this. As though she secretly sought his seal of approval, and he'd finally awarded it her.

"Yeah I know, right? This place is boho central. Very gothic chic, it's über cool. You'll adore the house."

"Is it not a little too predictable and dare I say, 'Highgate vampire'?"

"That's the point!"

She beamed, her megawatt smile seemed to light up the darkness inside of the car,

"All those urban legends of the vampire...you've got to love the irony."

The très smart, hilltop village of Highgate, lay nestled between woods and parkland, six miles north of central London.

They drove by pond square, passed the infamous, and hauntingly beautiful Victorian cemetery, with it's high walls, ornate gravestones and tombs that captivated the eye with their elaborate, intricate carvings. Until at last, they reached their destination.

Stepping from the car, Adam finally removed his sunglasses, unsure of whether or not his weary eyes deceived him. Or perhaps Ava was. Could this be an elaborate prank?

This was Holly village. A fascinating, unique village within a village, created in 1865 by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, a lady whom he could boast about having once been acquainted with, had he been that way inclined. But he was no braggart, boasting was not in his nature.

Approaching the gate, which was reminiscent of a gateway to another world, a sense of comforting familiarity swept over him, temporarily engulfing any weakness he felt from the hunger. The gated entrance featured a large gabled archway with two stone female statues, one holding a lamb and the other a dove. And through it, lay a village comprised of twelve unique cottages, which were all now grade ll listed buildings.

Built with colour stock brick and stone dressings, each one looked similar, yet had distinct variations of ornate wooden turrets and stone gargoyles. The striking gothic architecture somehow seemed to soothe him, as he drank in the sights, sounds and smells of the area. No polluting exhaust fumes choked his lungs, all he detected was the faint whiff of blossom and roses. No noise of rumbling traffic rang in his ears, only blissful quiet, save for their own footsteps on the path. No grotesquely ugly concrete blocks in sight, only opulent splendour. The overwhelming familiarity and unspoiled, enchanting beauty almost made him feel as if he'd arrived home...and in that instant, all the pain and anger which had been festering inside of him melted away. He felt the stir of something he hadn't felt in centuries. He felt alive...


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two;_** **That Parish 'Thing'**

Adam had been as equally surprised by the inside of Ava's home, as it's location, something which he did not choose to try and conceal. He never had made any qualms about speaking his mind, even if it meant being brutally honest. Especially where she was concerned.

After entering the Victorian cottage he had stared wide-eyed in wonder at the opulent decor and furnishings, which were an eclectic mixture of old and new. Ranging from the most elegant original, priceless antiques to painfully modern tat. Everywhere he turned, his eyes fell on something marvellous or bizarre. From the exquisite crown Derby crockery on show in the elaborately carved Queen Anne display cabinet, to the tasteless, large flat screened television that hung on the wall, looking decidedly out of place amongst the rich tapestries and beautiful paintings by the likes of Canaletto, Van Gogh and Rembrandt . Above his head, an exquisite French crystal-strewn chandelier hung, though it sat thick with dust, and instead the subdued lighting was provided by tea lights, scattered around the living room ensconced in cheap looking, imitation gothic-style candelabras.

She flicked on some music, provided by an iPod which sat in it's docking station. He didn't recognise the modern, tacky sounding pop song which came blaring from the two ugly speakers which sat in opposite corners of the room.

Slipping off her gloves, and three-quarter-length faux fur coat to reveal a 70's inspired minidress, Ava crossed the room in order to take a heavy iron poker from the side of the large wooden mantlepiece in order to stoke the embers of the fire.

"Make yourself comfortable." She chirped, gesturing towards the large outsized sofa which commandeered most of the room.

Adam eyed it with a look of distaste, instantly recognising it as one of those modern sofa store numbers. It's vast amount of huge cushions which seemed to be arranged in formation, made him wonder how on earth one was actually supposed to fit on the thing, whilst they remained in place.

Declining her invitation, he slowly approached her, fixing her with a flinty stare. His hunger pang growing along with his impatience.

She turned, noticing him draw close and automatically extended her hands towards his, unable to resist. "May I?" She asked cheerily.

He made to move out of reach, but with the aid of her own supernatural speed she succeeded in catching hold of one of his large hands, and pulled it from his glove swiftly. The touch of her skin on his caused what felt like a shock of static electricity, and he flinched, abruptly pulling free of her grasp. It was always the same, which is why he avoided making physical contact with her at all costs. He didn't understand it, and he wasn't overly fond of that which he did not understand.

Moreover, the curtesy of removing a guest's gloves was an old custom usually reserved only for courting couples. The fact that she always attempted to press him into engaging in this ritual with her, inked him. In the past he had assumed that perhaps she did it in order to try and vex Eve. But Eve wasn't here. And it had never really worked anyway. Eve was far too old and wise, and therefore immune to wasted emotions such as jealousy.

Unlike Ava herself.

Oh how she envied her sister for having beguiled such a rare beauty as he. Her sister had never disclosed the details of where and how she'd stumbled upon him, instead she'd spoken of him with an enthusiasm one might have when they discover a penchant for a new hobby.

Adam had been turned in the latter part of the 16th century, unlike his wife who had already lived as a vampire since the dawn of time. His innocence had captivated her, and he had breathed new life into her ancient soul. Eve had seen potential in him, that is what she'd told her, and had taken him under her wing like a tutor does a pupil. Well educated, well bred, with an insatiable appetite for the arts, she'd found his mysterious, sensitive nature appealing. They complimented each other well, he had a darker side that Eve lacked, and she had the breadth and strength to handle his glorious complexity.

But it wasn't until the summer of 1869 that Ava herself had had the pleasure of making his personal acquaintance, quite by chance whilst attending a grand soirée in London.

She still recalled the moment their eyes met across the crowded ballroom. Those clever, beautiful eyes which seemed to hold all the mysteries of the universe within them, that searched her very soul. For what she did not know. His dark mane of hair and ivory complexion was striking, and he cut a dashing figure in his crisp high-collared shirt and black tailcoat. The room around her fell out of focus as he moved towards her, dazzling her with a smile that turned her knees to water. So charming and self assured was he, that he gently took her gloved hand in his without speaking a word, and confidently whirled her around to the sweeping melody of the piano. His movements were majestical, as he guided her around the floor with mastery. His confidence and charisma enthralling her along with his devilishly handsome features. She had always thought herself immune to men and their false flattery, their pompous arrogance offended and bored her in equal measures. But Adam was an anomaly. A layered mystery to be uncovered, with a lust for life that, back then, had rivalled her own. She had met her match with this enigmatic, dark stranger who spoke eloquently and behaved scandalously by holding his waltzing partner just a little too closely to be socially acceptable, yet didn't seem to give a damn about the stir he was causing.

All eyes in the room were on them, but the world around her ceased to exist as her gaze locked with his. For the first time in her long life, she no longer felt overshadowed by her elder sister. The beautiful Eve, who outshone her in every way. She was her intellectual superior, and possessed a natural air of grace that Ava felt she herself lacked. Eve always conducted herself with decorum, making her feel inferior and inelegant. Her sister's admirable ability to constantly keep adapting to survive in the ever changing social climate made her radiant, and much sought-after company. So Ava had long since resigned herself to being more of a wallflower.

Yet in Adam's strong arms, she suddenly felt alive. Powerful yet still at his mercy, due to his commanding demeanour which oozed a dominance that she found irresistible. As composed and suave as he was, there was the distinct sense of the untamed about him. Impossibly attractive, his dark and dangerous, wild aura was just barely suppressed below the surface.

She could've sworn he'd felt it. Just as she felt it. A strange, inexplicable pull towards each other, and an underlying yearning to explore each other, mentally, emotionally and physically.

Inhuman they may be, but they still possessed the ability to feel emotions. Deeply. Yet their passionate nature verged on animalistic. Ava, like Adam was far younger than Eve. Over time she had evolved and learnt to suppress her urges and keep her instincts in check.

Adam was still to acquire this ability, and he'd awoken the primal senses in Ava which had been, up until then, dormant.

Their dance was like a mating ritual, filled with unspoken desire and laden heavily with promise, like the coming together of two feral beings that had the potential to form the perfect partnership.

But alas it was not to be.

The dance ended, he slipped off his glove, despite being in a public place and offered her his outstretched hand.

"May I?"

He asked, and she shakily permitted him to peel the soft material of her satin glove away from her dainty fingers. His touch was electrifying, and it caused the breath to catch in her throat.

...And then Eve had appeared, gliding into the room like a celestial being, shattering the moment, and destroying what had silently passed between them forever.

"Adam, darling! You've met Ava?"

Ava froze, her vampiric heart momentarily ceased to beat. This was Adam? The brooding love interest of her dear sister? The man she had written so fondly about in her letters?

Her childlike eyes stared at him, as his porcelain complexion somehow seemed to pale further. She registered the surprise on his face, and the instant awkwardness he felt. He had been blissfully unaware of who she was, just as she had of he. And that, as the saying goes, was that.

That was, until that fateful night in Paris back in 1926.

Ava had, since meeting Adam, decided to travel the world alone in the hopes of meeting a kindred spirit. Someone who had the ability to set her soul on fire, like he had. But her search had proved fruitless. It seemed as if there was only one Adam, he was unique and her sister had already long since claimed him.

Still, in her ignorance and naivety she persisted in her search for a companion.

In the years 1920's to 1945, the process of dating had become more informal than ever before. For the first time there were no chaperones on dates between interested parties and the dates required no formal commitment to each other. There was more freedom. Previous dating 'rules' had been set by the community and society, but with this new social freedom came issues surrounding safety and control. A harsh lesson she was to learn.

Whilst staying with Adam and Eve in their Parisian apartment in Quartier Pigalle, one Autumn evening she found herself alone with an acquaintance of Adam's, Léon Charles Thévenin, a French engineer who worked on the development of long distance underground telegraph lines, along with the analysis of complex electrical circuits. Single, and moralistic, the man had a reputation for living a celibate lifestyle, despite living at the height of the 'roaring twenties' and the population's art of having fun.

Although finding him quite a bore, Ava had somehow cajoled the man into taking her out to dance. And in all honesty she knew her pursuit of him was purely to torment Adam, who disapproved of her socialising with humans, to whom he now referred to as ' _zombies_ '. And her bold declaration of how she planned to seduce her date into breaking his vow of chastity, seemed to incense him further.

Ignoring his warnings soon proved to be a fatal mistake, when Léon became quite unexpectedly amorous. Ava had no intention of giving herself to this dull man, her previous bragging to Adam had been nothing more than a front to gain a reaction.

After rejecting his arduous advances, a most unpleasant altercation ensued in the cramped confines of Léon's Citroën 5CV car. Becoming aggressive, he had attempted to grope her and seized her by the throat when she fought him off. Her survival instincts immediately kicked in, and it did not end well for Léon. Using her speed and supernatural agility, she escaped his clutches and her reaction to his aggression was fierce and vicious.

She was sat, breathless, crying and covered in blood when Adam found her. Having appeared, as if out of nowhere. His shock and concern quickly gave way to panic and anger. He reproached her for her reckless behaviour, and lectured her on the principles of being a modern, esoteric, ethical vampire. Blood, he explained was procured only from secure, reliable sources, and feeding on humans was no longer acceptable.

Tearfully she attempted to relay what had happened, and apologised for having allowed the situation to escalate to such violence.

Adam, had been an admirer of Léon's work, so her having killed him clearly hit a nerve. But there was something deeper than that, Ava was certain of it. As he ranted on about how she ought to remain alone, it became clear that he resented her for seeking the company of men. This wasn't just about humans, this was about her personal activities. He wanted her to remain single.

"Why must I forever be alone?" She challenged him, defiantly,"You and Eve have each other-"

"That is different!" He fired back angrily, as he opened the passenger door in order to gain access to her, "Eve and I are the same kind. A zombie will not make a suitable mate."

Taking a handkerchief from his tailored jacket pocket, he cupped her face roughly in his bare hand, and began wiping the blood from her chin unnecessarily forcefully.

"But I have not been able to find a suitable companion who is one of our kind, so what am I to do? Remain on my own forever?" She argued, her eyes brimming with fresh tears that threatened to spill at any moment. "And why are you even here? How did you know where I was?"

He hesitated abruptly, and she saw a slight look of confusion cross his face, "I'm not entirely sure. I just...sensed something...and it's a good thing I am. _Shit_. This is such a _fucking_ mess..." His words trailed off as his thumb accidentally brushed against her full bottom lip, which begged to be kissed.

"You...you're not wearing your gloves.." She pointed out, as the familiar spark of his skin coming into contact with her's ignited, despite it only being the briefest touch, "...we never leave home without them."

"I was in a hurry...I sensed something bad was going to happen."

"What? Like a premonition that I was going to harm him?"

"No...that he'd...that you might..." He faltered, stumbling to find the right words.

"What? That I might've had sex with him?" She supplied bluntly, unable to suppress a mischievous smile.

But Adam was not smiling, on the contrary his expression was one of bemused embarrassment. She saw his jaw clench, and his grip on her chin perceptibly tightened. She swallowed hard, following his eye line, which scanned her lips that still bore the faintest traces of his friend's blood. Was he still angry at her? She wasn't able to tell, but before she had time to ask, he suddenly lunged forwards, crushing his lips against her's. Her heart turned somersaults in her chest, and she instinctively gripped him by his narrow waist, pulling him to her. His passion and ferocity surprised her, the kiss was not gentle, but demanding and desperate, as if he couldn't get close enough to her. Parting her lips for him, he darted his velvet tongue inside, eager to taste the sweetness of her and the blood, which she also found to be an intoxicating combination. He tasted as delectable as he looked and smelt, and the sensory overload made her feel almost dizzy with desire.

Mouths tightening, tongues twining, she was completely lost in the moment. Revelling in all of the dual erotic sensations, fuelled by the forbidden nature of such an intimate exchange.

Then suddenly he pulled away, leaving them both gasping for air. As though his senses had returned, he recoiled away from her hastily, his eyes fixed on the floor in apparent shame.

"Adam?"

"Don't!" He silenced her sharply, addressing her in the same manner one might speak to an unruly child. "Just don't Ava. We can't, this can't happen... I love Eve, and I'm happily married."

The bitter rejection she felt was painful, his words piercing her heart like a well aimed arrow. "Who are you trying to convince Adam, me or _yourself_?"

His head snapped up, and his eyes became two blazing pools of lava, "Shut the _fuck_ up. We mustn't ever speak of this again, do you understand?"

"Don't flatter yourself Adam..." She retorted coldly, slipping on her mask of childish indifference, "...I'll soon forget all about it, as though it never even happened." Jumping from the car, she pushed passed him and began to walk away.

"Where the _fuck_ are you going? You're covered in blood, you'll draw attention to yourself. And you can't just leave this _shit_ here for me to deal with!"

"I'll do whatever the _fuck_ I want Adam..." She called back over her shoulder, as she made her way down the quiet, cobbled street, "...why don't you use your spooky telepathy thing to call my brilliant sister to help you. She always knows what to do. She's the reliable, responsible one."

And with that she'd walked away, leaving him seething. Stood in the drizzling rain, his shirt stained crimson from having been pressed against Ava's blood soaked to say, he had panicked. And proceeded to drive Léon's car back to the apartment in order to seek Eve's assistance.

From what Eve had told her some years later, the manner in which to dispose of the dead man's body had proved to be quite a conundrum, and Adam even had to face being questioned by the French police due to arousing suspicion after an elderly couple spotted him entering the apartment in his bloodied shirt.

His contempt for her seemed to be stronger than ever when she'd arrived uninvited at Adam's dilapidated house in Detroit. She'd fallen into the role of the annoying, younger sister. Feigning ignorance when the subject of the incident in Paris was broached. She had lied when she told him she'd forget all about it, but she would never allow him to know that. Instead she casually taunted him silently by reminding him of the way he'd taken her hand the first time they'd met, and she delighted in his awkwardness. Whether or not her presence caused him unease due to the secret they shared, or because of the difficult position her behaviour had put him in, she did not know. But he did not want to be around her, that was something he made blatantly clear.

Yet here he was now, in her home. As her guest. And whether he wanted to be there or not, she had something that he needed. And she intended to draw out the situation for as long as possible.

Perching on the edge of her outsized sofa, he was becoming increasingly twitchy due to his rising hunger...and possibly something _else_.

Fetching a small glass of the much coveted O negative from the kitchen, he took it from her eagerly and knocked it back with an enthusiasm that he would normally advise against. His head lolled back, his eyes glazing over as the euphoric effect of the blood entered his system.

"Do you not have any more than that?" He asked finally, once he was able to form a coherent sentence, "The traveling has left me feeling like shit."

"You need to take it easy, as you always say. It's very rich and you'll make yourself sick if you drink too much all at once."

"And since when did you become so grown up?" He snapped, slumping back against the cushions which enveloped his weary, aching bones.

Choosing to ignore his comment, she watched with a wan smile as his eyelids drifted shut. Reaching for the remote, she switched off the music, bringing the room into silence save for the crackling of the fire.

"Just rest now Adam. You're totally exhausted. You can feed again when you wake up."


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three; Blood Sisters_**

As his eyes gently flickered open, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings Adam was instantly confused. This was not his home, this was not Tangier and it most definitely wasn't dark yet outside. Dreary light still seeped in through the cracks in the maroon drapes that hung at the large box sash windows. Feeling disorientated and curious, he rose wearily from the large sofa that had ensconced him, and slowly crept from the room and into the draughty oak panelled hallway. Scanning the environment in the dim light, his keen eyes suddenly fell on a framed photograph of a wedding couple which hung on the flock wallpapered wall. Edging nearer, he immediately recognised the bride as Ava.

And the memories of the last couple of days all came flooding back, like a river that had burst its banks. It hadn't been a dream at all. He had left Tangier, his home and his wife behind.

Amongst the myriad of emotions he was feeling, was a sense of acceptance that almost bordered on relief. If he was brutally honest with himself, he could admit that the dynamics between Eve and himself had dramatically changed after they'd fed on, and changed the young couple that had inadvertently crossed their path on the night of Marlowe's death. Emotions had been running high that weekend, for several different reasons, and their strength at an all time low. Desperation alone had driven them to attack Youssef and Aya. And during the weeks that followed, Adam had struggled with his conscience along with feelings of displacement.

His mood had already been low for many months prior to his move to Tangier, feeling increasingly lonely and despondent. Lamenting the corruption and degradation of the human race and the environment, he'd been harbouring suicidal thoughts for some time before Eve had recognised how subdued and withdrawn he'd become. Having lived half a world apart for several decades, she'd only noticed his reclusive, sombre state during one of her obligatory, annual phone calls. There had been no 'spooky action at a distance' involved. For some reason that didn't seem to occur between his wife and he. And whilst he had been genuinely pleased to be reunited with her again, as reluctant as he would've been to admit it, even her presence did not serve to fill the empty void inside of his soul.

But then of course, Ava had arrived. Throwing him into turmoil once again, bringing chaos where there was calm and leaving destruction in her wake. _God she was infuriating_. She'd arrived uninvited, encroaching on his personal space by invading his sanctuary and showing no respect for his privacy. She had gorged herself on his precious supply of O negative. She'd taunted him remorselessly, persuaded him against his own better judgement to go out amongst the zombies, and wrecked his belongings. His many treasured possessions such as his irreplaceable, rare vinyl record collection and out-dated recording equipment, along with his most favoured 1905 Gibson guitar. Above all else, she'd killed Ian. She'd all but drank him dry, draining him of his very life source. And whilst he detested the human race, Ian wasn't a bad kid at all. He had been trustworthy, and the closest thing he'd had to a friend whilst living in Detroit. Ava's reckless, thoughtlessness had once again left him in a difficult and potentially disastrous situation. He had to flee, leaving behind everything he owned.

Later, Eve had, with all her infinite optimism, attempted to convince him that a fresh start was exactly what he was in need of. And they'd settled into a new life with their new companions, Youssef and Aya. But the novelty had soon worn off for Adam. Their traditional villa in the Meridan at Tangier, with it's balcony that afforded a magical view of the old Town at night, was no consolation to him. As opposed to Eve, who had soon adapted, revelling in her new role of mentor, she seemed to thrive from the new lease of life. Youssef hung on her every word in a way which put Adam in mind of his younger self. Aya, however was somewhat jealous by nature and had soon tired of the attention her lover lavished upon his new teacher and maker. She left quite unexpectedly, leaving nothing more than a scribbled note, claiming she would rather find her own way in the world. Adam had not been overly surprised by her sudden departure, and had he not been wrestling with his own demons and feelings of guilt, he might well have been inclined to feel unwanted also.

He knew his slender frame, aquamarine eyes and pale complexion could not compete with young Youssef's olive tanned, muscular body, and dark almond eyes. Eve had on more than one occasion proclaimed the young Moroccan beautiful. And even though their marriage had endured centuries, and periods of long separation, he had always known deep down that the inevitable would one day happen. Her head would be turned, and she would be tempted. He had been certain of this due to the fact that it had already happened to him.

Not during the heady nights of the 'swinging sixties' or the scandalous 'free love' era of the seventies. Throughout this time when he had quite happily transitioned from being a romantic poet and classical composure to a fully fledged rockstar, who jammed with the likes of Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and even taught Jimi Hendrix himself how to play guitar. He'd even penned "All Along The Watch Tower" and gifted it to the rising star, on the condition that the lyrics were not accredited to him.

But regardless of the tours, concerts, music festivals and hanging out with the likes of the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, never once had Adam been tempted to stray. And it wasn't for want of the opportunity presenting itself. An endless procession of groupies and adoring fans almost quite literally threw themselves at his feet on a daily basis. But none of them captivated his attention. His loyalty lay with Eve, no matter where in the world either of them ended up. In all the centuries, only once had his eyes wandered...and that had happened many years ago, back in the mists of time. In London during the summer of 1869.

A young, radiant looking woman with honeyed hair, the colour and texture of which he likened to a lion's mane, had caught his attention. Petite and with warm, hazel eyes that shone brightly, reflecting the light from the Louis XVl chandeliers, he'd found himself inadvertently moving towards her before he realised what was happening. Exuding a zest for life that mirrored his own, he hadn't intended to partner her in a dance. All of London's high class society had been in attendance and were aware of him being married to the sophisticated Eve, due to the elite company she kept. So his behaviour that evening had been most severely frowned upon. But he could not help himself. This dainty beauty, so dissimilar to his precious Eve in every way, enchanted him. He felt a deep, almost instantaneous connection and was so enamoured by her he would've eloped with her there and then had he dared suggest it.

But then came the unexpected and sobering blow. She was Eve's sister. The troubled young girl that caused his wife so much concern. She had a restless spirit, and a rebellious streak, she refused to conform by entertaining worthy suitors, and often did scandalous things such as wearing men's britches to go riding in, rather than sitting sidesaddle like a properly behaved lady.

Ashamed for having been so sorely tempted to commit adultery, Adam reigned in his inappropriate thoughts and reasoned with himself that his attraction was nothing more than a passing fancy. But that did not appear to be the case, and he tried in vain to keep his sister in law at a distance. Which proved most difficult when occasionally she would turn up, unannounced whilst 'passing through' whatever city they happened to be inhabiting at the time. The nagging urges were still present, and most of the time he struggled to even look at her for fear of losing his senses to her completely. To make matters worse, as the years flew by and she grew increasingly wayward and flirtatious, he found himself trapped in a never ending cycle of trying to convince himself that he wasn't attracted to her, whilst simultaneously living in constant dread of her finding a serious love interest.

He knew this made him a hypocrite, but he could not help how he felt. Until eventually he'd finally cracked that night in Paris, overcome with wanton lust and the need to know if she secretly reciprocated his undisclosed desires, he'd all but devoured her small mouth. And when she'd pressed herself to him, welcoming his forbidden kisses, it had taken every last fraction of his self restraint to not ravish her right there and then.

Whilst undoubtedly regretting his rash actions, and being infuriated by her immaturity that night, to his eternal shame he'd revelled in the intimacy of their brief, sordid dalliance. Unable to forget the sweet taste of her soft, bloodied lips, he began to detest himself as well as her, each time Eve spoke of her little sister's latest exploits throughout the decades.

Then in 1984, there came the shocking revelation from his old friend Christopher Marlowe, who accidentally disclosed that Ava was not Eve's sister by birth. During a rare visit, whilst Eve was absent, the ever wise elderly fellow had sat opposite him, eyeing him steadily,

"How is that vivacious sister in law of yours?" He enquired casually, no doubt perceiving the way in which Adam shifted awkwardly under the weight of his heavy gaze.

"I really wouldn't know.." He responded nonchalantly, "...and I really couldn't care less. She's a _pain in the_ _arse_ , Kit."

Nodding slowly, the old man sank backwards into the high button backed chair, "She is most definitely trouble, but one must make some allowances, given her past history."

"What do you mean, past history?"

"Her being just a child when she was turned. It ought to be a crime to feed on one of such a tender age. Had it not been for Eve taking her in, then the thorn in your side would not be around today."

Leaning forward, his interest piqued, Adam could not refrain from urging his friend to go on, "But she's Eve's sister. I thought she was born into the race like her."

"No, some miscreant found her orphaned and alone in the suburban slums. It was 1585, the sweating sickness and Black Death raged throughout London, so a young girl clearly made easy pickings for a predator immune to such diseases..." He explained, surveying Adam's reaction with interest, "...Eve found her on the brink of death and saved her life by giving her another one."

"She.. _she_..changed her?"

"Well yes. She took pity on the girl. And since then she has referred to her as her blood sister. After all, they shared blood in order for the transformation to occur."

"Well that at least explains why they're so unalike in every way." Adam remarked flippantly, as he tried to digest this new information which had stunned him. But what Marlowe said next, stunned him further...

"Nature versus nurture dear boy. Eve may have catered to her every whim, but orphanhood and being subjected to a vampiric attack is going to leave psychological scars...and perhaps it is the elements which make her different that you find so bewitching."

Adam froze, wondering how he was supposed to respond. Had it been possible, his face would've flushed red because he certainly felt hot and decidedly flustered. After an awkward pause, he reluctantly met his friend's eyes, "What are you _implying_ , Kit?"

"I won't insult your intelligence, so do not attempt to try and fool me, you romantic young scoundrel."

Adam forced a cough in order to clear his throat, which suddenly felt very tight and dry. He knew there was no point in trying to deceive him, his powers of perception were as great as his mind. "I don't...well, I just...I find her...interesting, and.."

Marlowe leaned forwards, placing his wrinkled hand on his gently. Watching him stammering for words was clearly too painful for him to witness. Or perhaps he was as reluctant to hear any admittance, as Adam was of vocalising it. "Dear boy, it does not matter. As long as you don't act upon it and you don't go breaking your wife's heart. So just proceed with caution."

Paranoid that Eve might've suspected s omething and voiced her fears to Kit, Adam ensured that he showed nothing but contempt for Ava whenever she came up in future conversation. And along with his scathing remarks, despite his maddening want, he opted to wallow in denial, realising he was better served by feelings of resentment. Ava _was_ by now spiralling out of control, courting danger by living amongst the zombies, partying hard and not giving a damn about the consequences. The thought of her possibly having engaged in carnal activities with some undeserving man still made him irrationally angry, but why should he care? She wasn't capable of caring about anyone but herself. Immature and selfish, she just seemed to take pleasure in tormenting him.

Recalling the way in which she'd danced provocatively with Ian in the club, whilst deliberately looking his way, still made his supernatural blood boil. Unable to bear witness to her sensual display towards the man any longer, he'd struggled to contain his jealousy and demanded they leave. And he was quietly furious at Ian for following.

After throwing her out of his house in a fit of temper, disgusted and enraged that she'd killed Ian and destroyed his stuff, he silently stewed over the possibility of her having slept with her victim first. She had, after all, been wearing only her negligée, and his clothes were in disarray when Eve had walked in and found her sprawled over the dead man's body.

Was it selfish, he wondered, to have been more concerned about Ava seducing Ian than harming him? This question had been playing on his mind all the while he'd been living in Tangier. Several times, he had mistakenly referred to Aya as Ava, and hurriedly corrected himself. Hoping that Eve would believe his excuse of the names of the two women only differing by one letter.

By then of course, if Eve had been perturbed by his faux pas, she certainly hadn't shown it.

Now, as he slowly made his way up the stairs, the chipped varnished floorboards creaking beneath his boots, Adam focused solely on locating Ava in order to ask for more O negative. He'd only had a small amount, and the hunger had returned. But unlike his host, he was too mindful of other people's privacy to go rummaging around their house, searching for their secret stash of blood.

" _Ava_?" He called out, as he reached the landing. Noticing a door that was slightly ajar, he knocked once before slowly pushing it open. "Ava, are you awake?"

The room was shrouded in darkness due the Roman blackout blinds at the window, but as his eyes adjusted there was no mistaking the scantily clad form of Ava, lay on her front in the large mahogany four poster bed. The covers were strewn haphazardly, exposing one of her legs right up to the thigh, and her bare back indicated she was topless and sleeping in her underwear.

His mouth involuntarily fell open, and although he tried to stifle it, a sharp intake of breath caught in his throat.

To his horror, she stirred, shifting in the bed and he averted his eyes in order to preserve her modesty. He felt a subtle stirring within his loins, and mentally cursed himself for his weakness. He turned to leave, deciding to beat a hasty retreat back down the stairs when suddenly her childlike voice, rang out animatedly,

"Peek-a-boo, I _see_ you..."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four; Bloodlust and Belladonna_**

Framed in the doorway, Adam stood statuesque, still facing away from Ava.

"No, you don't see shit...go back to sleep."

He responded sardonically.

Undeterred by his usual cold demeanour, she reached out and flicked on the Makintosh, Art Deco Lamp that stood on her nightstand.

"True I don't see shit, I see _you_ Adam."

He could detect the grin in her voice, and rolled his eyes in their sockets with exasperation. There wasn't time for him to respond however, as she suddenly sprang from the bed with little effort, almost playfully wrapping her arms around him tightly from behind. She felt the muscles of his body instantly tense, but chose to ignore it.

"You, should go back to sleep too...what are you doing awake?"

"I was hungry but I've suddenly lost my appetite."

He attempted to sound callous, but she didn't seem at all fazed as she clung to him unashamedly, resting her head against his broad back in a most innocent manner, clearly oblivious to the inner battle that was raging within him.

"We can feed together when it's time to get up, but you need to rest..."

She persisted, and now attempted to pull him towards the bed,

"...come on, let's try and get some more sleep."

"You're pushing your luck Ava..."

"Oh yes, I forgot you don't like being told what to do...unless it's by Eve."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He demanded, disentangling himself from her arms, whilst ensuring his gaze remained fixed on the floor, as if fascinated by her threadbare Axminster carpet, but his pretence was a lame effort.

"And for Christ's sake put some fucking clothes on, will you?"

"Fine, whatever. You're such a fucking prude!"

Snatching her floral patterned silk robe from the wardrobe door, she slipped it on and then gripped him by the arms, forcing him to face her.

"Relax, take your jacket off, you need to loosen up a bit. What do you think I'm going to do to you?"

Her casual remark was innocently meant. Indeed, as manipulative as Ava could be, there was also a genuine naivety about her. She radiated a juvenile innocence that was both exasperating and, on rare occasions, almost endearing. But as he turned to look at her now, he was more inclined to believe that she was the one who ought to be concerned about what he might do to her. Gorgeous flowers bloomed across the sheer and utterly alluring chiffon robe she wore, which was framed with elegantly flared sleeves. In the glow of the soft lighting he could easily trace the outline of her beautiful form through the material, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides for want of reaching out to touch her.

She all but threw herself back down onto the soft mattress, watching him as he begrudgingly shrugged out of his black leather coat. Feeling tired and decidedly weak, he lacked the will to argue so sank down onto the bed, and did not protest as she pushed him to recline.

"Just chill, Adam."

He heaved an over-exasperated sigh, but instantly stilled as she protectively placed a slender arm over his chest, as though he were some skittish, untamed creature that may be startled at any moment and slip from her reach. Burying her face into the curve of his shoulder, she involuntarily breathed him in. He smelt musky and spicy like leather and cinnamon, and she was briefly transported back to Paris, his scent hadn't changed. He still smelt utterly delectable.

Painfully aware of the closeness of their proximity, and the soft push of her breasts against his chest, Adam struggled to steady his breathing. Ava was tactile by nature, and completely unabashed by physical contact. He recognised how some men could mistake her affections for flirtation, but he was not as misguided. He was less accustomed to her tentativeness, but being more reserved he was less inclined to respond to her touchy-feely habits. But having her hold him now felt dramatically different. It was personal, and bordered on a level of intimacy that was alien to him. Her touch was somehow strangely comforting, and his pulse was misbehaving. Along with his mind, which was filled with unwanted, and highly inappropriate thoughts.

He lay still for what seemed like an eternity, though in reality couldn't have been any longer than about fifteen minutes, but the tremors in his fingertips had begun once again. The hunger was increasing, and beginning to gnaw at him from the inside out. Like an addict experiencing withdrawal symptoms, eventually the trembling would become unbearable, and it would be almost impossible to keep still. Until the weakness took hold, making his limbs feel like lead, and each movement feel like wading through quick drying cement.

Ava appeared to have drifted off again, and in her slumber she moved, bringing her silky leg up, entwining it around one of his own. Swallowing hard, he tried to ignore the quickening of his heart rate, brought on by the teasing graze of her thigh resting atop of his. Fortunately, he was evolved enough to be able to control his primal instincts. Desire and hunger were a dangerous combination, and he could not and would not allow himself to act upon the dual sensations that were wreaking havoc within his system. Bloodlust. This was all wrong. Utterly, and undeniably _messed up_. He was not primitive, the zombies were slaves to their emotions but he wasn't and hadn't been for as long as he could recall. Perhaps he was losing his mind? He was certainly losing his grip. He could feel his stone-like resolve dissolving, and for a moment he actually thought he might be melting. Leaving nothing but a black puddle on the sheets where he had been previously lay. Beads of sweat were forming on his brow and he screwed his eyes tightly shut, desperately trying to focus on something...anything...else. Willing his urges away, his teeth clenched in agitation as his imagination began running riot, an unwanted image of her stretched naked on the bed flashed through his mind's eye. With her curtain of golden hair draped over one bare shoulder, exposing her slender neck...inviting... welcoming. The sound of his heartbeat thundered in his ears, and his chest began to tighten in panic. Unable to stand it any longer, he sat up abruptly, causing her limbs that had encircled him to fall away roughly. His brusque movements were enough to wake her, and she made a small inarticulate noise in protest as he rose shakily, having to place a large hand on the bedpost to steady himself.

Rolling over in the bed, she opened her eyes, which were still blurry from sleep.

"Adam? What's wrong with you?"

Seeing him stood shaking and sweating at the foot of the bed, she crawled towards him in the manner of a curious child, watching with growing confusion as he hastily pulled at the buttons on his black shirt, in an attempt to cool the fierce heat that seemed to be engulfing his body.

Kneeling up, she brushed his tousled hair aside and pressed her cool fingertips to his damp forehead.

"Oh my god Adam, you look awful."

As usual, the skin on skin contact sent a shock through him but this time he did not pull away. Instead he apprehensively allowed his eyes to meet with her's, and she was startled by his expression, which now bore more resemblance to a wild animal than a man. His flinty eyes had darkened and narrowed, assuming a feral look as they stared hard at her, fierce and frightening. His breath was ragged and the sight of his bare chest, shimmering with sweat as it rose and fell with his hampered breathing, caused her alarm for more than one reason. She felt it, deep down inside. That familiar, yet unfamiliar feeling stirring within her. That was impossible to deny. As though a sudden flame had been ignited in her belly, sending waves of heat outwards. All at once she now became very aware of her body, and her senses went into overdrive. Having to remind herself to breath as his hungry eyes lowered, coming to rest on her heaving bosom she became both transfixed and terrified in equal measures. The feel of the soft silk robe bushing against her skin, coupled with the heat of his heavy gaze, was surprisingly arousing yet intimidating, and she had to suppress a girlish giggle due to the sudden, unexpected nervousness she felt.

Fighting the temptation to pounce on her like a wolf does it's prey, Adam attempted in desperation to cling to the last shreds of self-restraint he possessed. Gripping the bedpost so tight his knuckles turned white to the point of looking translucent, he willed his carnal desires away. But the invisible force pulled harder, dulling all coherent thought and suddenly he was above her, threading his ams beneath her shoulders and hair, causing her to exhale shakily.

It seemed only a second had passed, so fast she didn't know how he got there and didn't even consider analysing it. He was so close she couldn't even think, all she could do was feel, as a bolt of exhilarated fear shot through her. She had no idea what he planned to do but was dreading he'd come to his senses at any moment and not be able to face doing any of it. Whatever _it_ happened tobe.

His hunger for her needed to be sated, he was greedy for her. His want had long since been replaced by need. He needed to devour her, to fill her, to take full possession of her body and consume her completely. But he daren't. Did he? This was Ava. His unruly sister in law, whom he barely tolerated at best. To surrender to his longing now would be admitting defeat and acknowledging the unthinkable. Unsure of whether he wanted to avoid potential disaster and humiliation, or prove to himself that he still possessed a fraction of self control, he moved away from her hastily. Recoiling like a wounded cobra. His haphazard movements caused an ottoman stool to tip over in the process, which served to catapult him back to reality with a serious jolt.

" _Shit_!"

Watching him recover the stool, Ava opened her mouth to speak but for once in her long life words failed her. No sound came out. She was still quivering and stood stunned like a deer that had been blinded in the headlights of an oncoming car. For a brief moment, he'd almost been hers. She had felt it. And yet it was not meant to be, his love for Eve was still evident. And as much as she revelled in the thought of having him for her own, she had no desire to be used. This was Adam. Brooding, melancholy Adam with his careless hair and magnificent stormy eyes. Her one true weakness. Any entanglement with him was guaranteed to leave her feeling churned up and wanting more. And he had never had eyes for her in Eve's presence. She wouldn't be his second choice, or just a temporary destruction.

Just then the unmistakable sound of someone rapping heavily on the front door echoed through the old house, the sound reverberating through the walls, making them both physically jump.

"Who's that?"

Adam demanded, visibly unnerved by the sudden interruption, yet secretly grateful for it.

A spark of recognition crossed her face, and she smiled wryly,

"Ooh, that'll be Tom..."

She supplied, and in the next instant she was moving towards the door,

"...I forgot about him."

"Tom?...Tom who?"

He was following her now as she made her way down the stairs, flicking the lights on as she went,

"He's _amazing_!"

She continued almost distractedly, the enthusiasm evident in her voice.

"He's an actor, you'll love him...he's like, super smart and really famous."

" _Great_. Another famous zombie, just what the world needs. And I fail to see how this will endear him to me."

His pessimism did not waver, as his apprehension grew,

"Ava, can't you fix me up first? I really need some more... _stuff_."

"You'll just have to hang on a minute, this is more important. I have to let him in."

Adam's brow furrowed further, his dark brows beetling together in bewilderment and indignation,

"Why? Ava, you know how I feel about my privacy...and you're not even dressed."

His tone was tinged with disapproval but his protesting was in vain, as she now reached the hallway and began the lengthy process of unbolting the front door which resembled Fort Knox.

"Because, it's _his_ house..."

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me?"

"Nope."

She replied breezily, then immediately became defensive once she registered Adam's thunderous expression.

" _What_? I never said I _owned_ the place, did I?"

There was no time to respond, instead he fell silent, loitering uneasily on the stairs as she opened the door to a tall, lithe man with long limbs and dark blonde hair that was trimmed shorter at the sides, but perfectly coiffed on top. His megawatt smile displayed a set of dazzling, perfect white teeth.

"Hello darling."

His almost musical voice echoed from the darkness of the entrance,

"I'm so sorry to bother you. I'm not disturbing you am I?"

Having noticed Adam lingering in the shadows, he shot Ava an apologetic look.

"No of course not sweetie, I just forgot you said you were stopping by."

She spoke reassuringly, affording him a winning smile to match his own.

The man looked almost troubled, as if he was somehow responsible for her forgetting,

"Oh, sorry."

"Stop apologising all the time. Come in."

She gestured eagerly for him to enter, and for a moment it looked as if he was contemplating her offer, but glancing again at the somewhat darkly intimidating figure of Adam, he appeared to think better of it.

"Honestly Ava, I see you have company and I wouldn't want to impose."

"Don't be silly Tom, you're not interrupting anything..."

She attempted to convince him, and following his eye line she gestured towards Adam almost dismissively,

"...take no notice of _him_ , it's just the brother in law."

Quickly taking in Ava's revealing nightwear, he then deliberately averted his gaze. A perceptive blush tinged the man's neck, which didn't go unnoticed by either or them.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Tom."

He forced an awkward smile, but Adam was noticing the way in which he seemed to register his open shirt, with more than just a fraction of suspicion readable in his twinkling blue eyes.

"Adam."

He responded flatly. Seemingly incapable of mustering an ounce of politeness for this introduction.

Not missing a beat, Ava smiled mischievously at Tom,

"Yeah. We're a _very_ _close_ family."

She giggled playfully, placing heavy emphasis on the word 'close' and then seeing his blush deepen, she placed her hand delicately on the shoulder of his Armani suit.

"I'm _joking_ Tom! Aww, you're so adorably cute."

Forcing a strained laugh, Tom seemed to fidget nervously with the sleeves of his white dress shirt, whilst Adam impaled him with his sharpest glare. He didn't quite know why he felt such inexplicable animosity towards this painfully polite, inoffensive zombie. But he did. Regardless of how impressed Ava was by him, he had no desire to share in her adoration.

"Was there something you wanted?"

He cut in bluntly, not giving a damn about whether he owned the house or not. He wanted him gone.

"Um, yeah. Sorry..."

Tom stammered, seemingly embarrassed but clearly taken aback by Adam's bluntness.

"...I'm sorry to be a nuisance Ava, but Mrs Butterworth has been in touch with the letting agent again, complaining about your deadly nightshade."

He gestured towards the front lawn, and made a point of keeping his eyes on her face now.

"I'm afraid it's going to have to go darling."

"Oh, but I _love_ the little bell shaped purply-green flowers, and they smell so beautiful."

She whined, almost sulkily.

Even from his position on the stairs, Adam could perceive her disappointment. Her bottom lip came out, and as ridiculous as it was her pouting over some toxic shrubbery, he could not prevent himself from voicing his opinion.

" _Atropa belladonna?_ There's no harm in keeping those as long as you don't eat the berries."

"Yes, I am aware of what belladonna is.."

Tom responded, a subtle tone of irritation now audible in his buttery smooth voice,

"The problem is Mrs Butterworth next door has children, so you have to see her cause for concern-"

"No not really..."

Adam persisted defiantly,

"...those plants are behind a wall. So for the neighbourhood kids to reach them, they'd have to be trespassing."

"Yeah man, but you know how it is. You can't be too careful. Kids will be kids..."

"Then they'll be dead kids."

Adam retorted coldly with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders,

"Which is their parents problem if they get up to shit they're not supposed to."

Tom was staring at him now in what could only be described as disbelief and disgust, his nose scrunched up and his fair eyebrows dipped to meet in a deep frown.

"Listen, with all due respect, I'm trying to discuss this matter with Ava-"

"No, how about about _you_ listen or better still, _you_ make Mrs _Butterscotch_ listen. If her kids are so hungry that they go scavenging for food then perhaps she ought to try feeding them better.."

He hissed, his patience all but exhausted now as a result of his rapidly increasing need to feed.

"And if they like eating bloody foliage so much, tell her to grow some foxglove as a precautionary measure. Then if they poison themselves the little brats have a tried and tested ancient antidote to fall back on."

" _Adam_!"

Ava piped up now, looking at him almost aghast, she brought her hand up to her mouth as if shocked, but really she was desperately trying to hide the smile she was struggling to suppress.

"No, it's fine Ava..."

Tom insisted now, turning his full attention back to her,

"I wasn't suggesting that you get rid of it anyway, merely move it to the back garden."

"Tell Butterscotch to _move_."

Adam's voice rang out relentlessly down the hallway. He was on a roll now and had quite forgotten just how amusing it could be,being blatantly rude to someone you disliked. Being quite so short tempered was rather out of character for him, but he wasn't feeling himself.

"I'll call over again and discuss it with Richard and yourself, once he's back."

The irritating man was saying now, having wisely chosen to ignore Adam's clipped remark.

Mumbling what sounded like an apology for her brother in law's behaviour, Ava hastily bid him goodbye. Closing the door behind him, she leaned back against it and affixed Adam with a stern look. Something which was most definitely out of character for her. And for a moment he pondered over the possibility of having slipped into some bizarre, parallel universe where Ava behaved sensibly and he, exceedingly badly. Although a pathetically minor dispute over some potentially deadly plants paled in significance compared to the type of _bad behaviour_ he could've been tempted to engage in. And the uncomfortable, and undeniably _real_ feeling of temptation clawed at his insides once again.

He had reached the bottom of the stairs now, and she wasted no time in unleashing the relatively mild anger she felt, upon him.

"What the hell was that? You do know he could throw me out thanks to you stirring up trouble."

"I'd personally call that poetic justice, for all the times you've dropped me in the _shit_."

"That's so unfair Adam."

"Well, I wouldn't worry ' _darling_ '..."

He mocked, forcing a tight smile in an attempt to imitate Tom's expression,

"...if he's so sweet, he isn't likely to evict your sorry arse, is he?"

"Which is more than what can be said of _you_.."

She quipped, scathingly.

"And I didn't say he was sweet. I said he was _cute_. Which he _is_...and he reminds me a lot of you. Except he's nicer."

Halting as if someone had just nailed his feet to the floor, Adam scoffed loudly, feeling surprisingly and monumentally offended.

"Nicer? Well, good for him. But seriously, have you been at the AB again? You should never trust a man who continuously smiles...He's _nothing_ like me-"

"You actually _look_ very similar. So much so that it's almost scary. He's _so_ beautiful."

She sighed, hesitating briefly in the doorway, a strange whimsical expression crossing her face like a hint of sunshine creeping out from behind the clouds, then her face clouded over again.

"But you're right he's _nothing_ like you. You're so _god damn_ boring. The two of you are like October and April."

"Is that just a seasonal reference or something more poignant that I don't get? And as for the big fella, I know nothing of God but I'm pretty sure he damned me _long_ ago."

"Facetious smart ass."

She huffed almost impatiently,

"I just don't understand why you'd be so hostile. He's a nice guy."

"Who, _God_? Or are we _still_ talking about Tom? If it's the latter then I'm inclined to disagree, and it's getting monotonous now...Do you _desire_ him?"

" _What_?"

She whirled around to face him, unsure of whether or not she'd just heard him correctly. What kind of question was that? Why would he want to know such a thing? And then it suddenly struck her. Was this a trick question? Could he possibly be challenging her? She'd never hidden the fact that she found him mouth-wateringly handsome. Now having just admitted that Tom reminded her of him, was he, for whatever unknown reason trying to coerce her into vocalising her secret longing. The yearning she persistently fought to conceal, but continuously struggled to mask it. Especially after...well, whatever the hell _that_ was which had taken place upstairs just a short while ago.

"You _heard_ me!"

He snapped. Though he was reluctant to hear the answer,

"Do you want _him_?"

He could have quite literally slapped himself in the face for allowing such a question to spill from his traitorous mouth. His self censor was growing increasingly skewed and off kilter. Balance needed to be restored. He could no longer rely on his senses to not betray him. The truth was he'd almost felt a strange kind of adrenalin fuelled charge from challenging the overly jovial Tom. He was too chirpy, too friendly, too... _full of life_.

Ava had, infuriating as it was, hit a raw nerve. The two men were different. Polar opposites in fact, like oil and water. Or October and April, as she so eloquently put it. Part of him resented the man for having so much to smile about, because once upon a time that had been him. He too had shone like a rising, bright star. Career wise, and in every aspect of his personality. In his glory days, people had been drawn to him like fireflies to the glow of candlelight. But the shooting star he once was, tearing through life shining brightly for all to see, had gradually become a falling star. And in reality, a star was after all, nothing more than a gigantic incandescent cloud of gas that has collapses in on itself. And he had, quite befittingly, collapsed in on himself. The smile had faded from his lips, his dreams had long since died, his heart had grown increasingly heavy and now there was just a vast amount of nothing left inside. Or so he used to think...

But something had and was changing. A shift had somehow and somewhere along the way recently taken place. He was beginning to _feel_ again. Emotions that he initially hadn't even realised he'd lost. The kind of which he poured scorn on the human race for feeling, such as jealousy for one. He hadn't even been jealous of Eve growing increasingly smitten with Youseff. Yet he was jealous of some toothy, grinning, sickeningly charming zombie named Tom, who seemed perfectly amiable but he did not like the familiarity between him and Ava. Just like he hadn't like her flirting with Ian back in Detroit, or her going on a date with Leon. The cause for such jealousy was too sickening and sobering to give serious consideration to. These damned unruly emotions were running amok. And yet whilst he feared exploring the basis of them more in depth, he was feeling almost _new_. So yes, he would relish and suffer the bittersweet resentment of having to bear witness to one such as Tom out-dazzling him. Because he was, the sullen, dark and languorous Adam. Too self absorbed to focus on what really mattered in life. Which was to _live_. And this was as close as he'd been in as long as he could remember, to feeling _alive_.

"Adam?"

The distant sound of Ava's voice resounded in his ears, pulling his focus back. He'd been, to his horror, standing staring at her blankly like a vacant imbecile.

"What is going on with you?"

His eyes scanned her lips as they moved, and he subconsciously licked his own at the distant but tantalising memory of having them pressed against his. _Damn._ Had they _always_ been _that_ full? They were mesmerising, but now more so than ever, and he found himself battling his raging libido once again. A war which, may well result in the vampiric death of him. Or rather it _would if_ that was somehow possible.

She was staring back askance at him now, as though he'd finally tipped over the edge of insanity. Was this sweet, wicked temptress aware that she was the one who drove him to the brink?

Struggling, stumbling, searching frantically for something to say in order to break the awkward silence, he ended up saying the first thing that came into his thought befuddled head, under the pretence of having been in silent contemplation all along,

"Who's Richard?"

He asked, relieved that his sharp mind hadn't on this occasion failed him. Although he hadn't given it any further consideration at the time, now it suddenly popped into his head like a gift from the gods, and would serve as a suitable excuse for having been so distracted.

"My husband."

She answered plainly, as she continued through into the kitchen. Then it was her turn to mentally kick herself. What had she just said? Her stomach instantly dropped, making her feel instantly nauseated.

" _What did you just say_?"

He demanded, like a verbalised echo of her own thought.

"He _was_ my husband."

She quickly corrected, though she knew such a lame attempt to save her from this mother of all faux pas would not wash with him. Her mistake would cost her dearly. She'd said it now and couldn't take it back. Much to her eternal, soul crushing dismay.

"No, no, no..."

He was saying now, shaking his head and pointing at her with his long index finger, accusingly,

"Nice guy Tom said he'd call again once _Richard_ was back, in order to speak to you both. So what's he intending to do, hold a seance?"

"No, he must've been-"

" _Don't lie to me_!"

He roared fiercely, and for the first time ever she found herself feeling genuinely afraid of Adam. She'd seen him angry before, but this was something else entirely. His eyes bored into her, as though telepathically drilling two holes into her skull with his retinas, in the hope of seeking out the truth.

"Don't you _fucking_ dare! He isn't dead at all, is he?"

He spat, grinding out the words through clenched teeth.

Blinking rapidly at the sight of his jaw setting so tight it looked like his slim face might actually crack, she backed away from him hurriedly, almost tripping over her own feet as he advanced towards her.

" _Sorry_..."

Was all she could manage feebly,

"...but I can _totally_ explain..."


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five; A Little Taste_**

"There's nothing to explain. You're a fucking liar. That's all there is to it as far as I'm concerned."

"That's not fair!"

Ava protested vehemently, trying to remain steadfast in spite of the fury in his intense eyes, which resembled glowing coals.

"You don't understand-"

"I understand that you brought me here under false pretences."

He cut her off sharply, his smooth voice dripping with venom.

"I value my privacy, and I would never have fucking come here if I'd have known you were still shacked up with your zombie. I was a fucking idiot to trust you. Shit, I must need my head examining!"

"I don't see what the big deal is. He isn't here, is he? And he won't be coming back, but this is why I didn't want you to know, because you're so fucking paranoid. I knew you wouldn't come otherwise. And you had to, you had to come. I gave you what you needed Adam."

Adam faltered at her words, his thoughts momentarily running amok, and swirling with dangerous possibilities. What he needed? No. She absolutely hadn't.

What he needed from her, extended far beyond blood alone. But there was no chance of that, not now. And that is when he felt the full on crush of disappointment. The complete agony one feels when all hopes are dashed. Which was unsettling in itself, as he hadn't realised just how secretly and selfishly happy he had been when blissfully ignorant, believing her husband to be deceased. And now he was struggling to contain the blistering fury that bubbled up inside of his chest.

"What I need?"

He scoffed openly, feigning indignation.

"You've hardly given me shit. The smallest fucking amount, even though when you were at my house you near enough drained my entire fucking supply...not to mention the fact that you drank Ian!"

Slipping on her usual mask of childish indifference, she pouted and rolled her eyes.

"I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to. I just got carried away."

"No shit. But that isn't an excuse."

"God Adam! You know, Eve might act like my mother but you're not my fucking father. I've said I'm sorry, so will you please stop lecturing me."

A red mist descended before his eyes, and he took a half step forward, closing the distance between them. She swallowed hard as he loomed above her, his stature which oozed dominance and masculinity, now screamed anger.

"Lecture you?"

His hand moved in a blur, clasping hold of her perfumed throat.

"I'd choke the life right out of you if I could!"

He increased the pressure slightly, just enough to cause alarm, and her eyes widened in panic. She could feel the sensation of her heart palpitating, forcing ripples of throbbing blood directly to her temples.

"Did you fuck him?"

He demanded crudely, his voice dropping to a fierce whisper as his large hand trembled with temper, or possibly hunger. Perhaps a combination of both.

He needed to know. Even at the risk of not liking the answer, he had to have one. The mysteries shrouding the sordid details of that fateful night had been plaguing him ever since he'd laid eyes on Ian's lifeless body.

The sound of her pulse beating erratically in her ears made his voice barely audible, and the question seemed too strange to be feasible. How was it possible that even now after all this time he still seemed to be fixated by her carnal pursuits with human men?

He did little to hide his contempt for her, so him taking such an eager interest in her personal life made no sense.

She opened her mouth to supply him with an answer but no sound came out, her voice too hampered by her breath that was raggedly moving in and out at regular, gasping intervals.

"Well, did you?"

His tone was menacing, and his patience thinning.

God help him, he was losing it. His eyes involuntarily cast down to her heaving chest, the motion of her breasts hypnotic, and teasing. Tempting him into a dark, strange world of forbidden longing and shaking limbs.

It took every fraction of strength for Ava to shake her head in response. Under normal circumstances if anyone else attempted to oppress her in such a way, she would've fought back like a feral cat. Scratching, clawing, and even biting when the occasion called for it. She had done it before when threatened, and would not hesitate in tearing someone's throat out again if necessary.

But this was different. This was Adam. Lovely Adam. And despite his sudden burst of aggression, there was something about the way he held her, and the way he looked at her, that sent a spark off to all her senses. The strange sensation of fear mingled with desire, caused her body to shake in an odd trembling rhythm against him.

His own breathing had quickened, and she could feel the heat of his stormy eyes penetrating the sheer material of her robe, taking their fill. And as his gaze scaled back up to her face, he looked every bit the devil he was. So smooth, dark, and sexy.

How could she ever resist him? Let alone fight him off?

God, his eyes were beautiful. Deep, mysterious, and mournful. As well as betraying a tortured soul, they were intelligent. The eyes of a deep thinker. Whilst simultaneously being dangerous, I-could-do-things-to-you-and-you'd-thoroughly-enjoy-it eyes.

Loosening his grasp on her slender neck, he roughly released her and turned away abruptly. Silently warring with his disturbing primal urges once more, he quickly reminded himself he was better served by anger than want.

"I doubt you'd admit to it even if you had. I'm done with this shit."

Without the slightest hint of warning, he stalked towards the front door, wrenching it open with such force he almost tore it off it's rusty hinges.

"Wait! Adam!"

She managed, with rising panic in her voice.

He was going to walk out of her house, out of her life, and she didn't have a clue where he would go if he got as far as the front gate. She couldn't lose him. Not now. Not again.

She had long since come to realise that she needed him in her life, no matter the capacity. And the thought of losing him, this time possibly forever, made her heart feel like it was being torn in two.

He disappeared into the blackness of the night, his clothes and hair serving well as camouflage. Racing after him, heart sinking like a stone, she called out into the darkness,

"Don't be stupid Adam, where are you going to go?"

He did reach the front gate but instead of marching through it, he suddenly slammed it closed, spinning on his heel, before returning to the house. Muttering a procession of expletives under his breath, his expression thunderous.

For a brief moment she was filled with relief, thinking he'd perhaps changed his mind, but as he stomped passed her and up the stairs, her alleviation was short lived.

"I need my fucking coat."

He supplied tersely, as he bounded up the staircase, the sound of his heavily booted footsteps reverberating against the wood.

Reaching her hands up into her hair, Ava tugged on it in frustration until it was askew. She had to do something, and do it fast. Him forgetting his jacket had afforded her time to act, but her mind was a blank. Save for pouncing on him and attempting to tie him down, she was at a loss for ideas.

Fortunately for her, the shrill ring of the telephone suddenly perforated the tense atmosphere, almost making her jump out of her own skin. Initially choosing to ignore it, tutting at the inconvenience of being interrupted now, of all times, the continuous trilling refused to relent until she finally gave in, and answered.

"Yes?"

She huffed, not bothering to hide her irritation.

"Ava, sweetheart...is he with you?"

The phone almost slipped from her hands, and she had to suck in a deep breath.

It was Eve. And she was enquiring after Adam.

Immediately flustered, she found herself floundering, wondering how on earth to respond. She was tempted to lie, or pretend to be ignorant to all knowledge of his current whereabouts, but as her mind raced and fumbled for excuses, her lengthy pause betrayed her. Unfortunately, it became apparent her sister knew her only too well..

"Ava, it's okay. I knew he'd be there. Just let me speak with him, would you?"

And then the phone did actually fall from her grasp, slipping from her fingers like in a scene from a film.

"Ava? Are you there?"

Eve's calm voice rang out from the floor, as she scrambled to retrieve the receiver.

"Sure, um. I'll just get him."

With classic timing, Adam was already making his way back down the stairs, his eyes set on the open front door, focused solely on leaving.

"Adam. It's...it's Eve."

Halting at her words, his head whipped around as she extended her hand, offering him the receiver.

"I didn't tell her I was going to look for you."

She whispered hurriedly, noting his murderous expression.

"She says she wants to talk to you."

He took the receiver from her, and Ava could feel the blood pressure collectedly rise in the room. Hers as well as his. The apprehension gnawing at her insides as he placed the phone to his ear.

"Eve?"

"Hello sweetheart.."

Adam closed his eyes, hearing his estranged wife's breathy voice unexpectedly caused a mixture of sadness, and panic.

She was always so calm and collected, his voice of sense and reason. She brought calm to his inner storm, and the thought of making a new life for himself permanently without her was incredibly daunting. He'd lived so long under her influence, he really didn't know how to function properly by himself.

"I'm just checking in, I knew Ava would find you. And I'm glad you're not all by yourself."

She continued, not the slightest hint of malice in her voice.

"Well you knew more than I did."

He retorted with a wry smile.

"I know more than you think darling."

She replied, and his grip tightened on the phone.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh Adam, come on. Isn't it about time you stopped deliberating and just accept the fact that she adores you? Our lives are long, and living in fear is such a waste."

His body went rigid as her words filtered through his ear and straight into his vampiric heart.

"W-what?"

He croaked, as his throat constricted tightly.

"I've always known I suppose, and I realise now how selfish I have been. Keeping you all to myself, even though the attraction the both of you share is undeniable."

"Eve, I-"

"Let me finish darling, I need you to know that you have my...well, blessing. Not that it's needed. Adam, we as a race take companions and form bonds that endure centuries. I love you so much..."

"And I love you too."

He managed hastily, sliding his eyes towards Ava, he was immediately struck with the way she now hung her head dejectedly. Giving further validity to Eve's assumptions that she felt for him, and a wave of barely containable excitement suddenly threatened to drown him.

"I know you do, but my sweet lord...there is a difference between loving and being in love, and you know precisely what I mean. Ava and yourself, you share a deep connection, one that can't be left unexplored, otherwise it'll drive you both crazy. Do you think I don't know why her arrival in Detroit kept you awake at night? You might've succeeding in fooling yourself into believing you were worried about your precious tapes, and such...but I knew then that you were yearning for her."

Struggling to string a sentence together, all he could do was wheeze as the words stuck in his throat. Painfully aware of Ava's presence, he was mindful of alerting her to his wife's proclamations. He was having a difficult time digesting it himself.

"So, perhaps it's time you took a chance and satisfied those undisclosed desires of yours, hmm? There's no need to be afraid, change is scary but necessary. Otherwise situations become stagnant. Perhaps she'll be the breath of fresh air you so desperately need."

Meanwhile Ava was taking in Adam's stunned expression, and standing by trying to guesstimate what was being said, was proving too difficult. Perhaps Eve was begging for him to return? She always did have a way of winning him over, and he followed her guidance and advice as though it were gospel. She knew she should be happy for them, if a reconciliation were to take place. But the deeper, darker part of her, selfishly wanted him around. Even if just for a little while. To be close to the enigma that had enthralled her since their first meeting, was too delicious a temptation to resist.

Suddenly struck with an idea, she scuttled off into the kitchen. Her intention, to bring him a little something for his hunger. She desperately wanted to show him she wasn't completely lacking maturity, and convince him she was more than capable in taking control of situations, just like her brilliantly sensible sister.

Leaping on the opportunity, in her absence he finally responded.

"Shit. Eve, I don't know what to say. I can't explain it. I just...I don't know what to say.."

"You don't need to say anything darling. I'm setting you free. Fuck, I know you, and your self-obsession...I can't bear the thought of you agonising over what you can't control. I was hoping I might somehow be able to alleviate your feelings of misplaced guilt. Adam, I don't want you to be maudlin anymore. Take a risk, you used to be so full of life. I think Ava could be exactly what you need."

"I wish I could share your optimism, but it'd never work anyway, she's so bloody boisterous, and flippant-"

"Which I'm sure with your reverence you can tame some of her wildness. That's precisely what she needs. But her spark is what you need. I honestly believe you'd be good for each other. You can find your way together, and take care of one another, and just...just learn to...be."

He could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke with conviction, and seemed genuinely pleased at the prospect of their possible union. Which made his head swirl.

"I..well..um."

His vocabulary appeared to have reverted to that of a toddler, which earned him an amused chuckle from the other end of the line.

"You'll be fine sweetheart. Trust me. Just remember what I said, now go and have some fun!"

And with that she was gone. Leaving him completely stumped.

As if waking from a trance he set the phone down, and turned, only to suddenly collide with Ava in the doorway.

"Fuck! Adam!"

She cursed, as he inadvertently knocked the glass from her hand, causing it to fall and shatter at their feet, sending it's contents splattering across the hallway floor.

"Oh, fucking hell!"

He exclaimed gruffly, whilst looking-on helplessly as the precious, life-giving nectar began to soak into the dense carpet.

His shirt, and chest also bore the smattering of the dark liquid, and the sight made her subconsciously lick her lips. His taught stomach smeared with blood, was a mouth-watering delight to behold. And when he ran a fingertip along his stained flesh and placed it into his mouth, she chewed on her bottom lip furiously, in order to suppress the unsettling stirring within.

Bending down, she busied herself with picking the fragments of broken glass from the rug.

"I'll need to take a shower to get this shit cleaned up."

He pointed out, still lamenting the loss of what would have been a much-needed feed.

"Shit, what a waste."

Somewhat distracted, Ava flinched suddenly as she felt the sharp sting of glass slice through her fingertip.

"Ow!"

She winced, rising to her her feet whilst inspecting her injury.

"What now?"

"I've cut my finger. Fuck me, that hurt!"

His head snapped up, and his eyes fixated on the crimson droplets of blood resting on the crease of her dainty finger. He edged nearer, crunching the stray remnants of splintered glass beneath his black eyelet boots, into the floor.

She stood stone still, immobile like a statue as he reached out slowly, and gently clasped her by the wrist.

He tried to resist, but he was overcome with the urge to throw caution to the wind, and the prospect of tasting her red, velvet lining was the kind of thing his most illicit dreams were made of.

He brought her trembling hand up towards his lips, and she had to stifle a gasp, well aware of his intentions, which only increased her erratic pulse.

His intense eyes were scrutinising her face now, his gaze heavy and intrusive. Searching for signs of protest, because sharing ones blood was not to be taken lightly, no matter how small the amount.

However, she put up no resistance.

His pupils widened, nearly glistening with a sense of lust she had witnessed before, especially in relation to feeding. Then without speaking a word, his eyes never leaving her face, he unfurled his tongue and began licking along her bloodied finger at a sweet, leisurely pace, savouring the delectable, bitter-sweetness of her life source, until his need and passion grew more ardent.

Eyes closing, engulfed by erotic pleasure as he lapped at the wound greedily, he drew the entire length of her finger into his hot mouth. Coupled with his own raging lust, her small shriek of surprise sparked his libido all that much more. Causing a flush of excitement to lurch deep within his chest, as well as his jeans.

She watched his sensual actions, transfixed with uncertainty and desire as his tongue swirled around tentatively, tasting, and suckling on her digit, until she became overwrought with the raw, sexual intensity of what he was doing to her.

Pulling her finger back slightly despite his reluctance to let go, she withdrew and then provocatively pushed it back in, slowly repeating the movement several times. Sexualising the exchange even further by mimicking the very act of intercourse itself, he understood the intimate nature of the gesture, and growled around her finger, eliciting a low moan from her as he sucked with arousing enthusiasm.

Retracting her finger completely, she ignored his protests as his lips attempted to catch it again, and instead she lowered her head before he had chance to collect his thoughts or object. And in the next instant she pressed her warm mouth to his chest, making him shudder as she traced along the speckles of blood with her own small, pink tongue.

His head lolled back, his large, capable hands grasping fistfuls of her beautiful hair. He tugged on it, his grip tightening painfully as she abruptly dropped to her knees before him, whilst licking her way downwards.

The touch of her soft rosebud lips against his bare skin felt incredible, and he was close to abandoning all restraint.

She felt his muscles bunching and tightening as she trailed down his abdomen, and a deep, utterly masculine groan tore from his throat as she edged closer to the waistband of his jeans.

Struggling to regain some coherent thought through the lust-filled haze that fogged up his mind, he felt the unmistakable tingling in his gums as his fangs extended.

Prompted by the slight tugging on his belt, and the tell-tale sound of his buckle being undone, he forced himself to pull back away from her.

"No Ava..."

His voice was ragged, and his command lacked conviction. But the truth was, he wasn't sure he felt right taking this any further.

"...this has to stop. Right now. It can't happen."

As she placed her hands on his narrow hips, and pressed herself against him like he were a God, and she his most devoted worshipper, he could detect the disappointment in her tone when at last she managed to speak.

"But why? Don't you want me Adam?"

She ventured nervously, only too well aware of the unmistakable bulge that was straining against his tight-fitting jeans.

Knowing she had this affect on him was a heady feeling indeed, and her blood rushed to her face as well as a certain other part of her body, just at the mere thought of it.

Her words heated and burned his insides, the inner turmoil he was faced with had never been so excruciating. After all those decades of longing, he knew now in that instant she would be willing to have him. He sensed her arousal, and willingness just as she sensed his need and urgency. And damn it, the temptation was bound to bring about his demise.

He wanted her so badly it physically pained him, and as she pressed herself against him, silently giving her permission to take whatever he wanted, it hurt even more feeling so compelled to not accept the invitation. He had to decline. As much as he wanted to take her roughly, right there on her hallway carpet, something was preventing him. Much to his annoyance.

Adam wasn't one for acting on impulse anymore, and hadn't in a very long time. Behaving rashly only led to disaster, and as far as he was concerned, Ava was like a living, breathing personification of trouble. After having to learn to be cautious in order to preserve his privacy, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that she would be detrimental to his self-preservation.

"No, no I don't."

Never before had he spoken such a blatant lie, the words sounded empty and hollow, but he had to put an end to this now before the situation escalated any further.

"I'm err...I'm going to take a shower, if that's alright? And then I'm going to go. I can't stay here."

He mumbled, deliberately avoiding looking at her.

She didn't respond, instead she watched him climb the stairs slowly. Her face hidden behind her sheet of red-gold hair. The sting of rejection felt like being slapped in the face, but she wasn't completely crushed. Taking comfort from the knowledge that he did secretly want her after all, made her previously heavy heart soar as though it had grown wings.

Their intimate encounter had proved he wasn't immune to sensuous contact, in spite of his usually stoic, composed conduct. Now, enthused with determination thanks to this fresh hope, all she had to do was contrive a way of convincing him to stay.

Upstairs, Adam had located the bathroom, and was absolutely appalled, but not entirely surprised to find it had undergone refurbishment, and painfully modern decor had replaced all of the original fixtures and fittings.

But as the water cascaded over his body like a curtain of warm rain, his thoughts returned once more to the impossible situation he found himself in.

God, he couldn't recall ever having being so turned on before.

Ava's blood had tasted exquisite, and it had been only a mere drop in the ocean. He didn't dare allow his mind to linger on the forbidden thought of what it would be like to really taste her.

Pressing his palms against the tiled wall, his dark wet lashes flickered shut, as he attempted to will his arousal away.

What was this strange, almost magnetic influence she wielded over him?

He couldn't keep doing this, he told himself. They were complete opposites, and she had a husband. A husband who was alive and living, and unlike his own spouse, most likely hadn't given her permission to start a new life with someone else.

Lost in his thoughts, the sound of the water bouncing off the tiles prevented him from hearing Ava's soft footfalls on the landing outside.

The bathroom door was slightly ajar, and she couldn't resist sneaking a peek through the gap.

The glorious sight of his nude form, all glistening and wet, chased the mischievous smile from her face. Rendering her awestruck, as the water bounced off his gleaming, soap-slicked body, sending up rainbows in the mist.

Staring agape, her mouth having literally fallen open like a fish, her wide eyes wandered over his impressive physique. She found herself hoping harder than ever that she'd succeed in persuading him to stay, now having seen him naked it'd be even more painful having to let him go.

God, her sister was such a complete idiot to let this brooding Adonis go.

And that was when a fiendish idea came to her, like a gift from the Gods.

Tearing her eyes away from the marvellous sight, she tip-toed carefully to her room, and as she'd anticipated, found his clothes in a discarded heap on the floor.

"Well, Adam...your shirt does need a wash now anyway.."

She mused to herself, with a sly grin.

"..let's see how far you get without your clothes, you gorgeous, fucking prude."


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter_** ** _Six_** ; **_These_** **_Arms Of Mine_**

 ** _A/N The music featured in this chapter is 'Marche pour la Ceremonie des Turcs' By Jean Baptiste Lully_** ** _1670_** **_and_** ' ** _These_** **_Ams_** **_of_** **_Mine_** ' **_by_** **_Otis_** **_Redding_** **_1962..._**

Having dressed in a simple kneel-length polka dot, button-down dress and coordinating white tights, Ava lounged casually on her large sofa, having rearranged the cushions to provide maximum nestiness.

In her hands she clutched a book of poetry she'd pulled from the dusty shelves in her husband's old study, in an attempt to look cool, calm and collected, as well as intellectual. I

Adam had always been a hopeless romantic, so therefore a sucker for poetry. With any luck he'd be impressed by her choice of reading material, though in all honesty she was having great difficulty concentrating as her mind kept being overruled solely by thoughts of Adam.

He was bound to be far from happy to find his clothes missing, so she had gone to great lengths in order to divert his inevitable anger.

She'd poured him a shot glass of O Negative, which now sat on a coaster on the wide, squared arm of the sofa. That, she hoped, would sate his hunger and go a long way towards distracting him from his temporary loss of clothing.

Whilst her tactical manoeuvre had been mischievous as well as practical, she had no desire to provoke any further outbursts from him. She wanted him to remain with her for as long as possible, and in order to achieve her goals she needed to be sneaky and resort to drastic measures.

Classical music filtered through the speakers, filling the room with a lulling, beautiful symphony.

Despite not being a huge fan of orchestral music herself, Ava knew this one particular melody by heart. 'Marche pour la Ceremonie des Turcs' written and composed in 1670 was an exquisite piece of music which had always been accredited to French composer, Jean-Baptiste Lully. In actual fact, it was one of Adam's most glorious pieces of work but like most of what he'd done musically, he had submitted it to a friend anonymously.

Ava unashamedly adored Adam's music. No matter the era or genre, she always considered it breathtakingly brilliant. He was, quite simply, a madcap genius. Whether playing melancholic, romantic overtures with elegant proficiency on classical piano, or experimenting with distorting sounds on an electric guitar by running a zippo lighter along the fretboard, his capabilities and imagination were boundless and his style was always distinctive.

It was a terribly pity she thought, that he'd grown reclusive towards the end of the 1970's. Fearing his true identity would be discovered, he retired from public life and thus began the obsession with strictly guarding his privacy. It was around this time worrying reports from some of the others reached Eve, informing her that the Adam he once was, the Adam they all knew who had always been joyful and gregarious, was now becoming increasingly socially withdrawn.

After traveling from Tangier to join him at his digs in St Louis, where he'd been temporarily residing, Eve had been so alarmed by the transformation in her husband she'd even voiced her fears for his emotional and mental state to Ava. She had listened, silently horrified as her sister relayed to her the full extent of his changes. One of the most striking features she described was the development of a blank, empty, dead-eyed stare.

Poor Adam, he had lost his effervescence and passion. And whilst both Eve and Kit Marlowe had coerced him from his nihilistic, self-pitying reverie to some extent, he'd never fully regained his sparkle.

Ava had secretly agonised over Adam's depression. She not only admired him as a man and an artist, she also found him inspiring and privately idolised him.

Wherever in the world she found herself, she always gained comfort from listening to his music. It made her feel closer to him somehow, as she pined for him quietly, longing to be near to him whilst firmly believing that if he were to reconnect with the outside world again, this would present new and exciting opportunities.

In her opinion, whilst Adam was at times emotionally fragile, treating him like a China doll wasn't necessarily productive to his recovery.

Eve had always been the more dominant of the pairing, in the most subtlest of ways, and over time her overprotective and somewhat patronising manner had smoothed out Adam's rough corners.

Once a confident, self-assured man, he had undoubtedly lost his edge. Her sister had tamed him, and her wisdom and vibrancy had inadvertently diminished his flame.

You should not invite wildfire into your home and expect it to be content with having to remain in the fireplace , but that is precisely what Eve had done. This was all wrong, Adam was the sort of man who, whilst being fashionably sensitive was too cool to care, and domineering in his own right. His commanding presence could be intimidating, and that was all part of his charisma. But Eve overruled his masculinity and always took control in any given situation.

Only occasionally did his suppressed inner-flame flicker to the surface.

Admittedly, Ava alone seemed able to bring out the more aggressive, decisive and more fiery side to his personality. The night he'd thrown her out of his house was a fine example of this, and when they'd been in the club she'd danced sensually with his trusted errand-boy Ian, and watched his face gradually darken until his expression was so black she half expected him to throw a drink over her or something as equally melodramatic.

He had of course demanded they leave, and did go storming out like a moody teenager.

This, was the side of Adam she now needed to appeal to. Now the two of them were alone together, perhaps she'd be able to evoke his inner-dominance, preferably without having to anger him. Only then did she stand a chance of scaling the walls he'd built to keep everyone out.

She had put some clothes on, just to appease his apparently prudish nature. Because in spite of his arousal as they'd shared that sensual moment in the hallway, she sensed he was still very much trying to keep her at a distance.

Perhaps he had simply become aroused by her brazen advances but it didn't necessarily mean his feelings ran any deeper than that. She wasn't completely naive to the ways of men, and obviously the feel of a woman's lips and tongue trailing a sensuous path down a hot-blooded male's stomach would be enough to stir their libido, even if against their own wishes.

Is that all it was? An impulsive reaction to the sight of her bloodied finger and her bold actions? He loathed her, didn't he? Although, him allowing her to do what she had done, initially putting up no resistance and even appearing to enjoy it, had come as a shockingly pleasant surprise.

She herself had been so caught up in the heat of the moment she hadn't stopped to consider what she was actually doing. All she knew was that he alone always awoke her dormant sexuality, making her most intimate area burn and throb with pure, unadulterated need.

Had he not stopped her when he had, she would've continued bravely. Daring to explore the most intimate areas of his eatable body with her curious, sinful mouth.

Yet he'd retreated hastily, after having stated quite categorically that he did not want her...at all.

Well, that was debatable, and she was now determined to find out. She needed more now. So much more. Like an addict with temptation within her grasp, she longed to reach out and touch him again. He was what she craved.

What was needed, she realised, was a change of tactics. The dress she wore was a little prim for her tastes, but she wasn't about to frighten Adam off by dressing provocatively. This wasn't simply about seducing the previously unobtainable object of her desires anymore, she wanted more than that. She wanted to succeed where Eve and Marlowe had failed, she wanted to somehow fix Adam and be his salvation. It was a fanciful notion indeed, but she wouldn't ever be able to live with herself if she missed this opportunity, and her usual, somewhat heavy-handed approach never worked.

So she had come to the conclusion that she would need to awaken the beast within, and then let him take the lead. He needed to reassert his dominance, and she assumed that her overzealousness was too intimidating for his personality.

Whilst caught up in her thoughts, she neither heard nor sensed his arrival as he padded barefoot into the living room.

Only when he spoke did he alert her to his presence, making her start in surprise.

There was something about the enigma that was Adam which always put her on edge, and she was convinced he knew it.

"What the _fuck_ have have you done with my clothes Ava? They're not where I left them."

"God, Adam!"

She wheezed, clutching a hand to her chest.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!"

He stood near the doorway, naked save for the white towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp and dishevelled, and as he moved towards the sofa with graceful strength, the soft glow of the candlelight shimmered in the tiny beads of water on his gleaming skin.

"I highly doubt that, it's a physical impossibility."

He retorted, looking comically unamused.

"Where are my clothes?"

"They're in the washing machine." She replied, before returning her attentions back to her book.

"They're what?"

"In the washing machine. Didn't you hear me."

"My hearing is perfectly adequate thank you Ava. Why the fuck would you wash my clothes?"

"Your hearing may be, but your understanding is clearly lacking."

She retorted dryly.

"They were dirty. That's why people wash their clothes. Sorry but they needed cleaning. Bloodstains are never a good look Adam."

He stood before her now, the folded corner of the towel hanging tantalisingly low on his narrow hip.

He was so beautiful, she couldn't refrain from lifting her eyes to gaze at him appreciatively.

Ava had seen many many men in various states of undress, but none of them compared to Adam with his broad shoulders, fantastic sinewy arms and impossibly long, lean, powerful legs. His body was slender and sculpted, his smooth chest well-defined, and his stomach bore the etchings of solid abdominal muscle.

And then there was the small - or rather not so small - matter of what lay hidden beneath the small scrap of material that covered his modesty. Had she known of the treasures that had been kept from her view for so long, she would never have known a moments peace. In fact even just the sight of him shirtless back in Detroit had caused her to stare too long, and too hard. Just as she was now.

She stared at him. Caught up in inappropriate thoughts. Then stared some more.

"How long before they're dry?"

He was demanding now gruffly.

She heaved an over exasperated sigh and sat up slightly, throwing her legs over a particularly outsized cushion in order to make space for him to join her.

"It won't take long. That's the wonders of modern technology for you Adam, I don't wash my clothes in the river and beat them against a rock to dry them off like you still do."

She gestured towards the glass which still sat atop the arm of the sofa.

"There's a little something for you, being as you spilt the last one."

His hungry eyes fell on the glass, and he wasted no time in snatching it up gratefully.

"As soon as my clothes are dry, I'm gone."

He declared with conviction as he seated himself as far away from her as the sofa would permit.

She eyed him with growing curiosity as he took a few eager sips of the dark liquid, trying to pace himself until his thirst for blood became too great, compelling him to knock it back greedily.

The effect was instantaneous, immediately quelling the hunger which had driven him to do the most strange, unthinkable things. Such as licking the blood from his hostesses' injured finger.

His body slumped deeply into the cushions at his back, and his head involuntarily lolled as his pupils pooled.

As per usual, he briefly slipped into a catatonic state, as the blood he'd just consumed chugged through his own veins.

Then all at once he regained some coherency, enough for his attention to be caught by the familiar sound of music. His music. Confusing him temporarily whilst in his sated stupor.

"Why...why are you playing this?"

He heard himself asking. His voice thick with irritation.

"Is it some pathetic attempt to appease me? Because it won't work. Turn it off."

"No. I just like it that's all. But fine, suit yourself."

He felt her move as she reached for the remote, and his eyes flickered shut. There was a brief lull and he lost himself in the peacefulness of the moment.

His tranquility was interrupted however, by the distinctively smooth voice of Otis Redding emanating from the speaker which was placed almost directly in line with where Adam's head now lay.

The man's soulful voice, unlike the music Ava had been listening to last night, was not an assault on his senses. On the contrary, the raw emotion evident in the man's delivery, along with the sensually slow, melodic rhythm and blues beat soothed him as he lay there, still and unmoving. Listening.

 _ **These arms of mine.**_

 ** _They are lonely._**

 ** _Lonely and feeling blue._**

 ** _These arms of mine._**

 ** _They are yearning_**

 ** _Yearning from wanting you_**

As the lyrics filtered through the air, and into Adam's ears he was all at once struck with an overwhelming feeling of empathy. The likes of which made his heart ache, as he felt this same sensation of yearning. The likes of which had never had such an impact, as all at once he found himself identifying with the singer's torment

His eyes snapped open as he then felt his unwanted companion, his tormentor, rise from her position on the sofa.

"Don't you just love this?"

She smiled whimsically, and began moving in time to the music. Running her hands up and down her hips with a flair of sensuality that effected him deeply.

His hand gripped the glass tightly, so much so that it was a mere miracle it didn't splinter in his hands.

His enlarged pupils drank in the sight of her gentle sway, her feminine sexuality and utterly alluring movements as she danced in the centre of the room.

Her large, hazel eyes fell on him and her face split into a wide grin.

"Dance with me Adam?"

The invitation sounded more like a demand, and whilst it may have well been innocently meant, he was certain her tone was laden heavily with sexual promise. Or was this mere wishful thinking on his part?

Under normal circumstances he would flatly deny her request and respond with some scathing remark. But these were far from being normal circumstances. Already it seemed as if the life he'd left behind in Tangier belonged to someone else. Would order ever be restored? Could there ever be order where Ava was involved? He highly doubted it.

Fleetingly he recalled Eve's phone call and the way in which she had implored him to have fun.

Fun.

It had been an absolute age since Adam had had fun. And even the very concept of having fun with Ava seemed dangerous. Enticingly so. Could he do this? More than likely. Should he do this? Probably not. Did he want to do this? Most definitely.

But perhaps he owed it to himself, and even Eve in an abstract sort of way, he reasoned with himself, to live for the moment for once.

And even though he dare not think where it may lead, he wanted to be close to Ava tonight. As close to her as his senses and conscience would allow. Even though his pride said it was impossible, his experience and reason told him it was risky and pointless, his heart still whispered for him to give it a try. To take the chance.

He found himself moving almost without realising. He stood and approached her in almost animated slow motion. Registering her look of pure, uninhibited delight as he slunk closer.

She continued to move almost imperceptibly, never breaking eye contact as she draped her arms carefully around his neck. Her eyes shone back at him, filled with raw adoration and the slightest glimmer of want. All of his reservations began to crumble like a pillar of salt beneath the heat of her gaze.

Cautiously he slipped his own around her slim waist and placed his hands on her lower back.

They began moving together, immediately falling in sync as he instinctively drew her in closer. He enfolded her petite frame in his strong arms, and could've sworn he could detect her shaking slightly as he held her to him.

Leaning against the smooth expanse of his chest, Ava breathed him in. He smelt clean and fresh, and like something more intrinsic like dew. Like he bathed in the morning dew.

She closed her eyes and let out a small, satisfied sigh. Feeling lost and found all at once, this was where she belonged she was certain of it. In Adam's arms. As Otis Redding was so eloquently singing now in 'These Arms of Mine'

 ** _And if you would let them hold you._**

 ** _Oh how grateful I would be._**

How very apt. How very perfect, this was one of life's perfect moments. The moment she had been waiting for since the day she had met Adam, and they'd shared that extraordinary dance as if destiny had somehow conspired to bring them together. Circumstances had kept them apart but now fate would be their saviour.

Adam was also revelling in the closeness, he forced all rational thought and logic from his mind and allowed his senses to bathe in the heady moment. To feel her in his arms again, to be holding her unexpectedly almost moved him to tears. He savoured the flowery meadow scent of her hair and the way in which it tickled the tip of his nose as he lowered his head to rest gently atop of hers.

How was it that being so close to this wild, untamed beauty whom he found so utterly exasperating felt so natural?

They seemed to fit together perfectly, like two spoons in a drawer.

She felt his head resting tenderly on her own but she wasn't prepared for what happened next. Tears pricked her eyes as she felt a hard rush of emotion like she'd never felt before. It was unstoppable. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut but the tears pushed out, and she wasn't able to wiped them away with her hand because it would mean extricating herself from his embrace, and she never wanted to be anywhere other than in his arms now she was there.

Fortunately for her he wasn't able to see her tears, so he wouldn't mistake her overwhelming, breathtaking happiness for something else.

Dear God she loved this man so much it almost killed her.

She wasn't able to put into words the love she felt for him. If she could she would, but now it was coming out in nearly tangible waves. Physical, aching and desperate. And she couldn't stop herself. Pressing her body to his, so that there wasn't a sliver of light between them. He brought his hips forward to meet hers as she moved against him, and her heartbeat careened as she began to feel the familiar pulse of arousal deep in her belly,

Feeling her body heat sear into him, was warming and comforting. He could've spent hours just absorbing her, holding her close, feeding off her warmth, but his own body had recently become an impatient beast and a certain part of his anatomy that lay south of the border began to grow increasingly hard.

Warring with the illicit pleasure she was evoking, he tried in vain to conceal it. He didn't want her to know. He didn't want her to know what she was doing to him. Whatever it was, she was like a fever he was learning to live with. He had never truly had a say in the matter, and now he wasn't so convinced he'd choose to be without her.

He could feel himself internally falling, tumbling ever further down this rabbit hole of madness.

Standing up against her, she felt his growing erection which was just for her and had to fight the primal temptation to reach down and touch him. He actually was like some form of drug. Addictive, and taking over her body, commanding and bending it to his will.

She knew she should resist but the need to do something was making her lose her mind. The sense of urgency to feel closer to him was unbearable.

Lifting her head, she strained upwards and carefully ghosted her lips over his clavicle, brushing them against the bone and the base of his neck.

He had tried to ignore the inconvenient stirring in his loins, his pride wouldn't allow him to waver and succumb to his carnal urges so easily. He refused to give in to his desire. Regardless of how mouth-wateringly exquisite her scent was, or how the knowledge that she was burning for him, drove him completely insane with lust.

But when he felt her soft, full lips feathering along his neck he could no longer refrain from doing what he'd been so desperate to do for the longest time.

Catching hold of her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tilted her face upwards like he had done all those centuries ago in Paris and sensing what was coming next she held her breath, in fear of so much as breathing the wrong way and jeopardising the moment.

His face came closer agonisingly slowly, he hesitated briefly their mouths mere millimetres apart. She felt his cool breath on her lips and for a moment they seemed to exchange breath with each other. Her blood fizzed through her veins as if effervescent, pumping up her heart with sweet anticipation and making it feel full to the point of bursting or floating away like a balloon. And she needed him. Needed him more than ever. Needed him there to catch it just in case it did.

And then it happened. _Finally_ , it happened.

He swooped in and claimed her mouth in a deep, sensuous kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter_** **_Seven_** ; _ **Sweet**_ **_Surrender_**

 ** _** A/N **_**

 ** _This_** _**chapter**_ **_contains descriptive scenes_** **_of a sexual nature_**.

 ** _Also, the music featured is 'Enjoy the silence' by KI Theory_**

 ** _and Fifty Shades by Boy Epic..._**

The soft push of Adam's mouth gently skimming hers rendered her completely motionless and incapable of thought.

For so long she had fantasised about this dream becoming a reality, having spent centuries longing to feel his lips on hers again, but now it was finally happening she found herself stunned, as though she'd been clubbed over the head with soul-consuming pleasure.

His long, lovely fingers spread out across her cheek as he gently eased her mouth open.

Her eyes flickered shut and she was gone, completely losing her senses to him as his velvety tongue invaded. She groaned and shifted her weight, sinking into his delicious male heat like a slave to the master of her desires.

Clinging to his broad bare shoulders, his brawny arms were so strong and certain as she hung onto him for support, she kissed him back eagerly.

He became vaguely aware of a song now playing, the tune and electro-drum bass music completely alien to him, but instead of regarding it scornfully, dismissing it as some contrite nonsensical modern rubbish, his interest was caught by the words that filled the room, conveniently providing the perfect backdrop for the position and scenario he was in.

 ** _'Can't you understand. Oh my little girl?_**

 ** _All I ever wanted_**. **_All I ever needed_**

 ** _Is here in my arms._**

 ** _Words are very unnecessary_**

 ** _They can_** _ **only do harm**_."

Their breath mingled, and she swallowed a gasp as he skilfully twined his tongue around her own.

His lips were demanding, his tongue wrestling her own for dominance as they tentatively explored each other with sensual enthusiasm.

She was, he realised with a measured amount of alarm, all he ever wanted. All he ever needed, and she was here now in his arms.

He could feel her ripe, willing body melting into his lithe frame, which was proving to be very seductive indeed.

His breathing became laboured as his excitement escalated and he laced his arms through hers and forced their bodies even closer together.

Feeling the hard throbbing column beneath his towel pressing into her abdomen, she pushed her hands into his thick, damp hair and ground against him.

A low treble moan slipped from his lips and Adam closed his eyes to cope with the wave of sexual desire.

God help him, he diligently tried to restrain the urge within him to claim her, to devour. To penetrate.

He wanted to impale and sink into Ava with teeth as well as cock, and this crude, irrational thought shook him to the very core.

As he brutalised her kiss-swollen lips the pit of his guts twisted with ravenous need. He experienced the all too familiar tell-tale sensation of his fangs gradually starting to extend as his sudden hunger rose to a maddening, agonising pitch.

Ava had been swept up within Adam's erotic charms and raw sexuality, just as she had been caught up centuries ago back in Paris.

The unique scratchy roughness of his chin grazing her own as he claimed her mouth over and over again, teasing and tasting with such sweet erotic pleasure, had quite the spectacular effect on her groin.

Those divine lips made her forget who he was, who she was. They explored, aroused, and took. And she would willingly let him have it all.

"Oh God, Adam.."

She moaned softly against his hot mouth, no longer able to contain her growing, ardent desire.

"...I want you. _Please_...just, just _take me._ "

The sound of his name alone being moaned on her luscious, sweet life-giving lips was almost enough to make him abandon all self control, but her sexual request all but sent him hurtling passed the point of no return.

Enticed by her honest plea, he nipped at her full bottom lip but she flinched slightly as the tip of his fang grazed across the sensitive skin, which shook him from his lust-filled reverie.

" _Shit_!"

He exclaimed hoarsely, pushing her away roughly as the gravity of the situation fell on him like a lead weight. Crushing his passion along with his willingness.

Immediately irritated by this sudden rejection, Ava's dainty features crumpled into a confused scowl.

" _What the fuck Adam?_ "

She yelled, unable to contain her frustration her arms extended outwards and flailed around in a childish display of bewildered discontent.

"What's wrong? What have I done now? Is it what I said? I'm sorry I just got a bit carried away."

He didn't answer, instead he crossed the room with an uncharacteristic, slightly loping stride as if he wasn't quite used to having legs yet.

He picked up the shot glass, held it out towards her imploringly and spoke in a commanding tone.

"I need some more."

" _Already_? But you've just had some. Aren't you the one who usually insists on not having too much?"

"Please Ava for once can you just do as I ask without _fucking arguing_ with me?"

She glared at him for a moment, but her withering look was lost on him as he refused to meet her eyes.

His gaze was solely focused on the floor, staring but unseeing as he fought the pressure to satiate his lustful, vampiric urges.

There was a risk of him heading towards complete abandon and he sensed that could spell imminent danger.

Never before had he felt so driven to engage in carnal pleasure whilst feeling simultaneously compelled to consume Ava's bittersweet life-source.

"And could I have a larger glass? I think I need more than that."

He added hurriedly as she whisked the glass from his hand, her small nostrils flaring with temper.

"My supply is running a bit low. I'm due a delivery in a day or two."

She informed him, flouncing angrily from the room.

Losing the starch in his legs he sank down onto the floor of her impressive Gothic home and swiped aside the fine film of perspiration that had formed on his chest.

He tried to ignore the ardent heat coiled between his legs.

The hard and steady pulse of the steely, masculine proof of his arousal stubbornly refused to settle.

Disturbingly, his desire seemed to be increasing not waning.

When Ava returned with a glass tumbler, brimming to the rim with what he so urgently required in order to quell his overwhelming hunger, she was surprised to see him slumped on the floor. His lean, muscular legs stretched out lengthily before him and crossed at the ankle.

He muttered his thanks and swiftly took the offering from her.

Her eyes rounded in apprehensive wonderment as he glugged it down, his Adam's apple visibly bobbing up and down in his throat.

"Adam are you okay? You're drinking a hell of a lot."

She pointed out needlessly.

"I'm fine."

He rasped between mouthfuls. But she didn't look convinced and he wasn't convincing himself either. He was deeply unsettled by his inability to quench his insatiable thirst.

Ava approached him with growing curiosity, awaiting the impending reaction to him having fed, but there wasn't one.

Why wasn't the blood surging through his system, engulfing him in the usual euphoric state of satisfaction?

Something most definitely was amiss.

"Aren't you having any?"

He asked suddenly in a vain attempt to divert her attention away from his clammy visage.

"I had some when you were in the shower. Like I said, I'm running a bit low."

He snorted rudely in response to her proclamation.

"It's a pity you didn't exercise the same restraint when you were at my house. Who delivers it for you? Can you trust your supplier?"

The lengthy pause that ensued should have alerted him to the fact that Ava was reluctant to answer, but he was at present too distracted by his current condition.

"Yes, it's...it's Richard."

She admitted reluctantly, anticipating a negative reaction.

"He works at a blood bank, so yes you could say it was a marriage of convenience."

"Your husband is your supplier?"

Grinding the words out he finally looked up at her, his flinty eyes full of anger.

"But you said he wasn't coming back?"

"He isn't, well not to stay. We're separated so I only see him when he drops the stuff off."

"If you're separated than how can you be so sure you can trust him? Fuck! He could betray your secret to anyone."

He paused to reflect on this for a moment.

"You're un-fucking-believable, do you know that?"

"He won't tell anyone."

"How do you know?"

"He can't tell anyone, no one would believe him and besides he's...he's the same, so..."

Her words trailed off as with one fluid motion he sprang to his feet, rendering her silent as he straightened to his full, impressive height.

"The _same_? You mean he's one of the others?"

Leaning towards her he looked her right in the eyes.

"I thought he was a zombie."

Shrugging dismissively she tried not to wither beneath his cold dagger-stare. Bizarrely his pupils seemed to be dilating, transforming his eyes into glistening black obsidian pools.

"Well he _was_ when I met him."

She forced a strained laugh, hoping to lighten the moment.

"We were friends, I had something he wanted and he had something I wanted so it was a win-win situation. Even though the marriage didn't really work out, I got the house and an endless uncontaminated supply, and he got immortality and everlasting life."

She smiled cautiously at him and naively hoped he'd see the funny side and smile back.

He didn't.

"You _turned_ him?"

His tone was accusing and filled with disdain.

He wanted to tear the room apart with his bare, trembling hands and bring the walls down around her at this latest revelation.

His mind was already overloaded to the point of exploding and now it felt as if someone had deposited a large shipment of ball bearings into his head and they were rattling around colliding violently with each other.

His irrational jealousy at the thought of some undeserving zombie feeding off Ava made him incandescent with rage.

His obsession with her did not connect with his intellect, and he could not contain the myriad of emotions that threatened to implode.

Anger was too kind a word to describe what he was feeling. Furious was more accurate. She had him seething and wanting and aching for her with all of his being.

"It's really no big deal."

"No _big_ _deal_? Your ignorance is staggering."

He scoffed and abruptly turned away in apparent disgust.

In an immature moment of mad impulsiveness, Ava darted forwards, reached out and pulled at the hem of the towel as he made to leave the room.

It came apart, exposing his perfectly formed buttocks but using his supernatural speed he caught it with his hand before it fell to the floor.

She giggled girlishly at her own silliness, but her laughter quickly subsided when he rounded on her, radiating anger as he readjusted the towel.

She had hoped to alleviate some of the tension and lighten the mood between them but instead of calming him he now looked infuriated and absolutely terrifying.

"Do you have _any_ idea how obnoxious you are?"

"No but I get the feeling you're about to tell me."

"Is this all nothing but a game to you?"

He snarled, the candlelight slashed across his features, casting half of his face in shadows.

"Keep playing with fire Ava and you're going to get _burned_."

His face tightened from a look of tolerance to violence and his movements were too quick to register as he advanced on her at hyper-speed.

Her eyes struggled to focus as she felt herself being whipped around and pushed backwards.

She let out a startled shriek as the back of her head hit the wall with a slight thud.

Realising she'd gone too far, she struggled to catch her breath, her heart beating like a tribal drum against her rib cage as he held her pinned to the wall in a tightening grip.

"Do you enjoy pushing my buttons Ava? Do you get some kind of perverse kick out of it?"

Moving his head back a few inches so that he could peer down his dignified nose at her, she realised then with some alarm that his fangs were clearly visible

" _What_ is it that you _want_ from me?"

he demanded in a low, don't-you-dare-actually-answer-me tone.

"Do you want me to _fuck you?_ Is _that_ it? Because I will. I'll fuck you harder than you've ever been fucked before and I won't stop until all your neighbours know my fucking name! Will that satisfy you?"

To his own, utter embarrassment, Adam blanched at the sound of his unveiled lust. He didn't know what possessed him to say such a thing or where it had come from. Never had he dared make such a blatantly overt sexual threat like that. The words just sprang out.

Ava stood stunned, completely at a loss for words. Her mouth and throat went dry with a rasp. She could hardly swallow. Her eyes sliding shut at the impact of his torrid words as they flushed through her body like a balmy tidal wave of ecstasy. Her own latent hunger for Adam peaking in subtle rushes.

He was on a roll now, gripping her hand forcefully he pressed it to that swollen thickness throbbing beneath the towel, guiding her palm up and down, not letting her go until she stopped trying to snatch it away.

Her eyes widened as her curious fingers felt him.

He was more than ready for her to engage now, she was able to sense the tension well-up within him as well as her own readiness as she gently rubbed up and down his shaft.

He threw his head back, emitting a sensual, appreciative growl, spurring her into increasing momentum.

Overcome with arduous passion he went straight for the buttons on her dress and instead of unbuttoning them, tore them open. Sending them scattering across the wooden floor.

She gasped, her head lolling back against the hard brick of the wall, as he nimbly slipped his fingers beneath her white lace bra, pushing it aside, and suddenly she was bare and in his hands.

He set her on fire with his touch, running the pads of his his thumbs over tne delicate nub of her nipples, and skilfully kneading her breasts with erotic precision.

He dipped his head, trailing hot open-mouthed kisses across the swell of her pert breasts, his lips closing over each nipple in turn, kissing and suckling them so that they rose to greet his gloriously skilled mouth.

She wantonly moaned whilst grasping onto his shoulders tightly, her nails leaving marks on his skin no doubt.

Adam's mind whirled, caught up in his own lust which was driving him to seek out the place he longed to worship between her creamy thighs.

Reaching down between their bodies he slipped an impatient hand beneath the hem of her dress and teased her with slow, concentrated strokes. Moving in a gentle but firm circular motion.

She choked out a stifled gasp, regretting her decision to wear tights. Never before had she despised this particular item of clothing so much for being thin enough to feel, but thick enough to not feel enough.

The pulsating warmth of her core burned against his fingertips through the material, setting his senses alight and threatening to consume him.

It was ironic that he'd warned her of the dangers of playing with fire yet he was drawn to her like a helpless moth to candlelight.

Her reciprocated desire for him was slowly building a flame into such a formidable craving for the fire, it threatened to burn him to ashes soon if he did not manage control.

The muscles in her thighs tensed, and her legs trembled, threatening to buckle at any moment.

But he held her firmly in his certain hands.

He was strong, so strong but completely controlled.

She knew what he could do to her if he so chose, even without his supernatural strength. He could destroy her. And knowing she was at his mercy added to the intensity, heightening the pleasure.

As much as she craved the tenderness of his sweet caresses, she sensed his urgency. She could feel him trying to stay in control but she wanted him to lose it.

"Adam _please_. I want you...And yes, you were right. I actually _do_ want you to _fuck_ me...so just do it."

Not sure whether she'd thought or spoken the words she knew they'd be enough to push him over the edge.

This time he put up no resistance, and responded by clawing at the soft material between her legs. The irksome inconvenient barrier which kept him from meeting with his wet, warm target.

She closed her eyes as she felt the frenzied rip and tug as he tore away her tights, and simultaneously tne delicate cotton of her underwear, as if irritated by the whole convention of wearing clothes.

She squealed as he spun her around with great ease, and forced her forwards. A strong hand clasped to the back of her neck as he steered her towards the sofa, pushing her face down.

Apprehensive now, she found herself feeling vulnerable and exposed as his large hands pushed her dishevelled dress up, sliding downwards massaging and caressing the curve of her bare buttocks.

At first there was a skittish reaction from Ava, as she protested meekly but her voice lacked authority.

"Adam, _wait_..."

She didn't know what to say. She was torn between allowing him to take her spontaneously like this, and wanting their coming together to be perfect.

She'd conjured a dozen or so scenarios in her mind since their first meeting, but none of them involved her being taken roughly from behind over her worn sofa.

She wanted them to gaze into each other's eyes lovingly, but clearly he had other intentions.

Adam himself would have preferred to make love to her with more affection applied, savouring every touch and taste but he cold not pass up the opportune moment to, as she so crudely put it, _fuck her._

That is what she had asked of him, and as his lust-filled eyes cast down he saw her heave and tremble in anticipation.

The erotic sight of her rippling mounds aroused him to the point of sheer agony. Intense heat erupted within him to where he actually groaned in pain.

The control he felt as his fingers dipped down to explore between her legs, was an intoxicating wave of power. His eyes closed to savor the indelible sensation of her delicate warm folds. His wandering digits made her writhe against his hand, enveloping him in a wave of immeasurable lust.

"Oh _God_ Adam. Wait, I want to _touch_ you. And _see_ you."

He felt her twist in his clutches, craning her neck to look over her shoulder and opened his eyes to meet her gaze with a daunting stare of sexual defiance.

Deliberately letting her know what he was going to do to her.

With her.

She instinctively tried to press her trembling thighs together.

Which was impossible with the position he had her in...exactly at his mercy. They were locked in a sudden sensual tug of war, and the heavily charged, sexual energy that hung in the air between them, crackled like static electricity against his skin.

Adam had waited an eternity to love this woman properly, and now it seemed he was finally on the periphery of being able to.

He needed no fanciful, idyllic set-up.

She was here and willing, and the immense feeling of release from being able to unleash all of his suppressed, raw passion made his head swirl and his heart flutter, setting his body aflame.

"We do this, and you're fucking _mine_!"

He declared, a distinct warning tone in his voice.

She tried to process his words, the gravely seriousness of his voice brought goosebumps to the surface of her skin. He gave no indication that he was toying with her.

Not that that was Adam's style anyway. Which could only lead to one conclusion.

He wanted her, and not just in a sexual capacity. He was claiming her as his own, and her heart swelled at the prospect.

She had no reservations. She would gladly surrender herself to Adam physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. In truth, she had always been his.

He loosened the towel, letting it fall to the floor and she felt herself burn inside, wet, warm and hankering for the moment he'd take her. Everything glowed, throbbing with anticipation.

There was no more foreplay, no slow touching, or gentle petting as his fingers grasped her fiercely by the hips as if he wouldn't ever let go. She felt his presence as he probed at her slick entrance, the sweet spot between her legs that was pooling with moisture for him.

Finally the nagging voices of doubt in his head were silenced to a mere echo. Only fleetingly reminding him that he and Ava were about to terminate the vows of fidelity they had made to their spouses. Severing the sacred bonds of the legal marital contract.

Positioning himself behind her he forced her legs further apart and sucked in a deep breath as if to steady his nerves.

Feeling how hard and ready he was to conjoin with her, the anticipation was painful. Like waiting at the top of a high peak, and not knowing if you would fly or fall.

Then all at once he was _there_.

He pushed in one long hard thrust, entering her so suddenly and fiercely she cried out with the sheer brute force of it.

Sheathing himself to the hilt, he filled her so completely that they both gasped with a spontaneous expression of exactness.

"Oh... _Ava_."

He said her name like it were a curse word, in a low strangled voice.

Convinced that he'd now found proof that heaven did in fact exist, his grasp tightened painfully around her hips to steady her, and ensure that neither of them moved. He froze for a moment to give them both time to recover.

The initial pain began to fade to slight discomfort as she found the overwhelming sensation of having him inside her deliciously distracting. She could feel every inch of him impaling her in blissful agony, unable to tell where he began and she ended.

He pulled back using her hips as leverage, then surged forwards and took up a punishing rhythm at the very first instant, determined to fulfil his brazen promise.

Her head pushed into the pillows, pleasure flooding her, defeating in it's intensity as he kept up the pace.

Every thrust harder and deeper than the previous, leaving a beautiful, unbelievable impact on her body.

It was she who then became aware that her music was still playing in the background, and the lyrics resounded around her head as if providing a befitting soundtrack to their arduous lovemaking.

' ** _Forever on the floor._**

 ** _Don't ever stop_**.

I **_want more._**

 ** _Like nails on my skin._**

 ** _Swallow_** **_my sins._**

 ** _Hurt me, hurt me again._** '

He drove into her with such rapid force the sofa shifted beneath the strength of his movements. The sweet inimitable tightening she felt deep within unravelled in a sudden orgasm, making her entire body feel like a thread that had been pulled tight then snapped into two.

" _Oh God_! Adam...oh... _fuck_!"

She panted, as she trembled and shook against him, her beautiful milky skin flushing a rosy pink hue.

Spurred on by the sound of her mewled cries, he continued to pound unapologetically, fondling and squeezing her rear, the yielding flesh pleasurable to him, adding to the sensory delight.

" _Oh fuck_!"

He whispered raggedly, his voice barely audible now above the luscious sound of their bare skin slapping together.

"Fucking hell Ava...you feel _so_ _good_."

He throbbed away inside her languid heat, feeling the sensuous contraction as he drove himself into her again and again.

Adam had lived a long life, spanning many centuries and had known many women carnally before he'd met Eve.

But this was by far the sexiest thing he'd ever beheld.

The sight of his length sliding in and out of her, slick with her arousal as she contracted around him, made him lightheaded and his limbs buzzed with excitement.

This was Ava, the one woman capable of reducing him to a quivering wreck. He couldn't even begin to compare her to any others, she was so beyond compare. And he was terrified.

Terrified of coming undone as he bathed his senses in the wild beauty of what they were doing to each other.

There weren't words enough to describe what he felt for her. She made him feel free, and alive and he was frightened, and thrilled and elated by what they had become. Like two feral beings merged into one.

He came crushing down on her, the bare skin of his chest stinging with the contact of her naked back.

Knowing the maddening fever would soon strike, an animalistic instinct drove him to sink his teeth carefully into her shoulder as a distraction, taking care not break her luxurious skin but gripping her like an animal does it's mate. Holding her in place so that she couldn't escape the pleasure. So that she couldn't escape him.

"Oh _fuck_! Adam... _yes_!"

He felt so utterly sublime she couldn't refrain from expressing herself more vocally, and began to groan with his every thrust.

Her voice was needy and betrayed her every desire, as if her sweating, shaking body wasn't doing that already.

She heard his muffled masculine sounds reverberate along her skin, so distinct and pleasurable with his every movement, and it was making her sprint towards the finish line once more, rather than walk.

His thrusts quickened, and she could feel them, strong and deep and she thought she might come apart beneath him.

Her nipples hardened, his teeth clenched tighter and her hands grasped at the cushions that surrounded her head as his hips went on surging in a constant forward thrusting motion.

Her pulse rocketed and she swore her heart was beating so hard she could feel it in her throat, her chest, and where they were joined.

The most intense surge of pleasure threatened to shatter her soul into a million pieces as it coursed through her body, making her cry out and arch up off the sofa. Pushing further into his groin.

His fingers on her hips sunk deeper into her soft skin as he relinquished his hold on her shoulder, observing the way in which she conveniently tossed her cascade of honeyed hair as she bucked her hips involuntarily.

His passion-filled eyes came to rest on her exposed neck. The central artery pulsing and inviting, silently beckoning.

He could not resist the gnawing, cavernous temptation, succumbing to the forbidden enticement as he frenziedly buried his face against the curve of her shoulder, showering her skin with soft kisses that felt like a veil of warm rain, until he could bear it no longer.

His fangs extended further and tore into the delicate vein of her neck. She was helpless to pull away from the bite, as all the while he continued to drive his length into her with the rapid, brutal rhythm he had set.

The sensation of his suckling lips upon her skin sent a stab of pain through her body, precisely as he hit just the right spot in order to send her hurtling towards the sweet abyss yet again.

She was helpless to tear away from the sharpness of his teeth as they embedded into her flesh.

That jagged bite brought with it a searing sting followed by him feeding hungrily upon the same point. She was mentally and emotionally torn apart as another climax devastated her, sending wave after wave outwards like a tsunami, making her spasm and shudder.

Stars studded her vision and she fleetingly thought she might actually black out.

He continued pumping into her with growing ferocity until he stilled abruptly, his nerves and muscles bulging and tensing as he threw his head back and let out a primal, animalistic sound.

Sparks shot through his body, and his mind became a fevered pitch of scattering lights as the sheer intensity of his orgasm ripped his soul wide open.

She strained to see and caught a glimpse of his face contorting, his mouth stained scarlet with the fresh droplets of her blood.

His body convulsed, and a mind-numbing surge of pleasure consumed Ava as she felt the distinct sensation of his release spilling inside her.

He thrust two more times, filling her with his liquid heat before involuntarily sagging, and falling down onto her heavily, sated and spent.

They panted breathlessly, their bodies bloodied and damp with perspiration.

She couldn't breath, she couldn't move and she wouldn't want to.

Her body was already feeling extremely tender, but in that heady moment she couldn't have cared less.

Inside she was glowing.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight; Your Heart And Mine_**

 ** _A/N_**

 ** _This chapter contains poetry by Anne Reeve Aldrich and Christopher Poindexter - As well as the most romantic quote from Crimson Peak (I couldn't resist, this fic has been heavily influenced by that movie too) ..._**

Still heaving with breathy pants of resolution, Adam slowly withdrew his waning length from her luxurious heat.

Groaning with the satiated pleasure of feeling himself sensually slide from her exquisite body, the post-orgasmic euphoria still buzzed throughout his veins and his lean, muscular legs trembled as he moved in order to retrieve the discarded towel.

Immediately mourning the loss of their illicit closeness, Ava attempted to stand but her own shaky, putty-like legs failed her so instead she repositioned herself in order to survey him fully.

Her pulse jumped as her eyes traversed his magnificent physique, taking in the arc of his strapping chest and soft roll of his broad shoulders

A sheen of sweat still glistened upon his skin, making him look like an ethereal being, some sort of dark angel. And her lust-fogged mind spun with satisfaction, knowing she was now carnally acquainted with this sultry corrupter of innocence.

It had finally happened. The unimaginable. They had been sexually intimate. They had become one.

Neither of them spoke as their hampered breathing steadied, until he saw her hand absentmindedly reach up to the sore spot on her neck.

She winced as it came to rest on the two puncture wounds, and her childlike eyes rounded as she inspected the droplets of blood smeared across her fingertips.

His expression altered then, changing drastically from contentment to remorse, as an overwhelming sense of guilt chased away the lingering euphoria.

" _Shit_. Ava...I'm sorry."

He ran his hands through his tousled hair, and clutched his head in apparent despair.

"W-what?"

She managed, as her heart stilled in her chest.

His voice was filled with sadness and regret.

"That shouldn't have happened."

Her stomach dropped violently making her feel instantly nauseated.

She couldn't bear the thought of rejection now, not after what they had shared. Why was he regretting their actions?

She really ought to ask but wasn't sure she was emotionally equipped to cope with the answer he might supply.

A sob began to rise in her chest, which she desperately fought to hold back.

She wouldn't allow herself to fall apart in front of Adam again, pride and the irrational fear of being compared unfavourably to her brilliant sister prevented it.

Eve was always so calm and behaved sensibly, she would never be reduced to tears so easily.

Ordinarily Ava herself would not be so fragile, but where Adam was concerned all rationality ceased to exist.

Every heartache she had ever suffered had been at his hand, he alone was capable of bringing about an emotional landslide.

When he had thrown her out of his Detroit home his callous tone and cold, death-stare had cut far deeper than his words alone when he'd told her to go and 'rot' back in L.A.

In retaliation she'd expressed her hurt by unleashing a torrent of abuse, childishly cantered around telling him and Eve to go 'fuck each other'.

That was the nearest she'd come to showing her true feelings of envy and resentment, but once the door slammed shut she'd dissolved into tears as she walked the lonely road back to town.

Of course Adam would never know this.

Neither was he aware of the hot tears of rejection she had shed after he'd spurned her affections back in Paris all those many years ago.

Since then she had rather naively believed that she'd made herself stronger on the inside.

Playing the role of the irritating younger sister was almost like living in a second skin for Ava now, but her unrequited love for Adam was the chink in her armour.

Her pain may go unheard but it was undeniably real and he was the cause.

He caused her pain, but she would not allow him to know it.

As tears pricked her eyes now, she registered his look of bewilderment and reacted in the only way she knew how.

Using her supernatural speed she leapt from the sofa in a frenzied state of agitation, holding her torn dress together, and fled the room in the manner of an emotionally unbalanced adolescent.

She heard his voice call out to her but ignored it, driven on by an irrational panic that kept her legs moving onwards up the stairs in spite of their fragile condition.

"Ava?"

He called out again, his voice echoing through the chasm of the empty hallway and up the stairwell as if chasing and taunting her.

She reached the safety of her room and closed the door behind her, leaning back against the rough wood.

She sorely wanted to scream and cry into her pillow but instead resorted to pacing around her room aimlessly. The stocking feet of her ripped tights scuffing along the thick carpet whilst she attempted to draw in deep, calming breaths, not knowing what she was doing or where she was going, she tried to shake off the restless, nervous energy and upset that clung to her like an invisible widows veil.

She felt like she was in mourning, her world had crashed and burned around her.

She should've known better. She should've known that his present emotional state would be too unstable to form any real, romantic attachment.

Sex is all it was to him, and as glorious as it had been, that wasn't enough for her. It wasn't enough because she loved him.

She breathed Adam, he was the air.

He had her heart without even realising it, and she'd been a fool to engage in carnal activity with him when it was evident his heart still lay with Eve. He had left his heart behind in Tangier.

His life was tangled and she'd willingly become ensnared in his web of emotional turmoil by enticing him here in the first place with the use of a classic car and the promise of O Negative.

Yes she had wanted to take care of Adam, to be his saviour in his hour of need. She wanted to be the one to protect him, to comfort him, to offer some solace.

But it had been all too easy to get swept along, hijacked by hormones, and her incessant want for more had been impossible to ignore, resulting in her plotting and scheming to keep him there, and now she was reaping what she had sewn.

Competing for a love she would never receive, could only ever lead to disaster. Her love couldn't bind his heart.

And as dawn began to break, the morning echo of the grey slivers of light that filtered in through the gaps in her blinds which kept the room mostly cloaked in darkness, said she'd sinned.

She'd brazenly coveted and seduced her sister's husband, and now she was paying the price.

They'd both been victims of the night, succumbing to their primal urges, but she'd dared allow herself to hope that there lay a deeper meaning beyond the flesh.

Adam hastened up the staircase, his bare feet sliding on the cool wood as he took the stairs two at a time.

Ava was an irrational, unpredictable creature at the best of times, but her fleeing the room had taken him completely by surprise.

They'd just made love for Christ's sake...and he'd bitten her.

Had the realisation terrified her that much?

If so then he desperately needed to explain. Explain and beg for forgiveness for his rash actions.

Her eyes had betrayed her when she'd looked at him, they had been brimming with hurt.

The knowledge that he had caused her pain, either physical or emotional, weighed heavily now on his heart.

Pounding on the door with such impatient force that the wood appeared to yield and bend beneath his fist, Ava was prompted to respond in order to save it from splintering.

"Ava? Ava open the door."

"What do you want Adam?"

"What do I _want_?"

He replied incredulously.

"Just open the bloody door!"

A tense few moments passed until finally it unlocked with a click and creaked open just wide enough for Ava to peer around, her tear-swollen eyes hesitant.

Placing a large hand on the frame he drew forwards, compelling her to begrudgingly move aside and let him in.

"What the hell are you playing at?"

He demanded, his firm tone at odds with his concerned expression.

"Running away doesn't solve anything."

"It's nothing alright. For fucks sake Adam just leave me alone. It's getting light out and I'm tired."

Her face and neck was still flushed from their sexual exploits, and his gaze was so piercing it made her turn an even deeper shade of pink.

Then quite unexpectedly he grasped her firmly by the shoulders, holding her at arms length.

"Ow! Get off me, Adam!"

"What's wrong? _Tell me._ "

Blatantly choosing to ignore her protests he pulled her towards him, enveloping her petite frame in his arms.

" _Nothing_ , just let me go!"

She tried in vain to extricate herself from his clutches but the more she struggled against him like a wild, frantic bird caught in a trap, the tighter he held onto her, until at last she broke down crying and relented to his embrace.

"God Ava."

He spoke softly, running a hand gently through her tangled mane of hair. Surprising himself as well as her with his instinctive, tender reaction.

"I'm so sorry I fucking lost it, I never meant to hurt you. Is it still painful?"

"What?"

She sniffed distractedly, resting her hot face against the cool skin of his chest.

"Is what painful?"

"Well the bite of course. What do you think I'm talking about?"

"The _bite_?"

Her mind whirred and she pulled back a fraction so that she could look at him, and he her.

"No it doesn't hurt that much, it's totally weird actually 'cause at the time...it felt sort of, right."

His dark brows drew together in a deeply forged frown.

"What do you mean, _right_?"

"I don't know, it's hard to describe. It just felt kind of natural you know? But anyway, why did you do it? You've already had loads to drink, surely you wasn't still hungry."

She sensed every muscle in his body go rigid at her words, and he looked suddenly quite embarrassed.

"I take it you've never heard of bloodlust?"

" _Bloodlust_? Well yeah, but isn't that just a myth? Like garlic and crucifixes being a repellent?"

His grip loosened, his hands falling away to hang awkwardly by his sides as he took a step backwards and fixed his eyes on the middle distance.

"No Ava, it's a _real_ thing. Eve warned me about the dangers of it many times, but I've never experienced it personally...until now."

He moved passed her absentmindedly and sank down onto the end of her bed.

"I'm ashamed of myself. I should have known better, I should have known that I'd lose my grip-"

" _How_? How could you know if it's never happened to you before?"

He grew silent. Pondering how to answer.

Bloodlust was the term used amongst their kind to describe the uncontainable urge to feed off one who evoked strong feelings of sexual desire.

He had tried to sate the forbidden temptation by gorging himself on her O negative but in the end it hadn't quelled the erotic hunger.

And the intensity of combining the sensations of consuming Ava's very life source whilst coupling with her, had lifted his body to the stars.

How was he supposed to put into words the lustful craving? The self-control that approached mania?

How could he explain that she alone brought out the beast in his animal soul? That he had always been terrified of the weakness he felt at the mention of her name, and how he found a deeper, different feeling in the grip of her caress, one that made him afraid to touch her yet equally afraid to not.

It was slavery in disguise.

"Because...because it's _you_ Ava."

He faltered slightly, rubbing his face with his hands. His jangling nerves getting the better of him.

"Einstein once said that if you can't explain something simply, then you don't understand it well enough."

Unable to swallow the sudden thickness that clogged up her throat, all she could do was stand in stunned silence, listening to his deep, spell-binding influence of a voice.

"Well I've _tried_ Ava, God knows I've tried to understand. But I _don't_."

She gazed at him in wonder, her eyes alive with brazen adoration, and in that instant he knew he must run with this even if it were the death of him. Like a wooden bullet through his heart.

Until his lifeline was severed and all his vessels died, he would be a slave to love. And for her he would willingly step into the grave smiling.

" _But yet I felt thee near me, in every drop of blood. In helpless, trembling bondage my soul's weight lies on thee_."

"Is...is that a poem?"

She croaked with great effort.

Eve would've recognised the lines he had quoted instantly and been able to recite the entire verse as well as supply the author and year it was penned with no difficulty.

But Ava was not Eve, and this made Adam smile.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, and it wasn't a smile of mockery or laughter, it was a genuine heart-stopping smile that reached all the way up to his fantastic aqua eyes.

Ava's innocence and naivety only made her more endearing to him.

"Yes it's a poem. It's called _Servitude_."

She felt her bottom lip quiver, as the gravity of his cryptic declaration began to sink in.

Dare she even hope that this could mean she meant something more to him? The possibility caused her stomach to turn a triple somersault, before proceeding to liquefy into a gooey heap.

He sensed his explanation wasn't articulate enough, but he felt he had succeeded in conveying to her what he'd never dared admit before.

She edged closer, desperate to hear more. Desperate for clarification, because she couldn't risk pouring her brittle heart out to him only to discover this was yet another misunderstanding.

Kit Marlowe had once told her that love involved a peculiar unfathomable combination of understanding and misunderstanding.

It was only now she finally realised it was true.

At least on her part anyway.

" _Love_ is a feeling you can't explain. I think the heart knows you're in love before you even realise you love someone."

He buried his face in his hands, hiding behind his long fingers.

"Your heart will bleed for a love that's dead like me?"

He quoted ominously, his smile having faded along with his courage.

"Ava you've no idea, you really haven't. You don't really know me so you don't understand-"

"Oh for Gods sake Adam! I know I don't know your history but that doesn't mean I don't know _you_!"

She snapped impatiently, her hand flying to her hip.

"I mean, I know I'm not as pretty and intelligent as Eve, I don't have sophistication and I don't know the meaning of much.."

She paused as her voice threatened to crack with emotion, and he was staring at her now.

Her dark eyes were watery with emotion yet emblazoned with passion, making them even more mesmerising.

"Ava you're-"

"No! I know I'll _never_ be as witty and knowledgable as _her_ , she's _everything_ I'm _not_ , but that doesn't mean I don't have feelings or that I'm _incapable_ of loving."

Her salty tears were now winding their way to her lips as they trailed down her grief-stricken face, and he was on his feet now, poised ready to move towards her.

Wanting desperately to hold her, and somehow make everything alright.

But he couldn't. He couldn't make his feet move, or his mind form the words of comfort he longed to speak.

Perhaps he was incapable of making everything right again.

All he could do was blink dumbly and let her continue.

Even though it was paining him more than his mortal death had.

"You are terrifying and strange, and beautiful Adam. Something that not everyone knows how to love...but _I_ know..."

He held his breath as his eyes searched her face, hopeful and ever so slightly anxious.

"I know Adam...I _love_ you!"

A choked gasp escaped his lips as his heart suddenly threatened to burst through his chest.

She blinked nervously as he closed the distance between them with one stride of his long legs.

"Fuck, Ava."

His large hands covered hers and clasped them to his chest, enabling her to feel the rapid thudding of his vampiric heart.

This was the woman who had turned his world upside down on more than one occasion. A woman who insisted on invading his peaceful solitude time and time again. She brought mayhem and uncertainty, but this was the woman who ironically and undeniably made him feel alive. The same woman who now claimed she loved him.

The words of one of his most favourite poems suddenly invaded his mind...

 ** _I_** **_admit I was afraid to love_**.

 ** _Not just love, but to love her._**

 ** _For she was a stunning mystery._**

 ** _She carried things deep inside her that no one has yet to understand and I, I was afraid to fail like the others._**

 _ **She w**_ ** _as the ocean, and I was_** **_just a boy who loved the waves but was completely terrified to swim._**

Now it was time to swim. To take the plunge and be brutally honest about his feelings. The ones which he'd kept hidden for so long.

Closing his eyes tightly, Adam finally allowed himself to voice the words he'd written for her so many years ago after their first meeting, but hadn't been able to speak them for so many different reasons.

"I feel as if a link exists between your heart and mine. And should that link be broken either by distance or by time, then my heart would cease to beat and I would die."

Ava's uncanny ability of being able to recognise Adam's music, also extended to his poetry. She could tell immediately that his heartfelt proclamation was entirely that. His, and from the heart. His heart.

There was no more hesitation as their mouths found each other, feverishly. She laced her arms around his neck and strained upwards, returning his passion as he pulled her into him and kissed her deeply.

Willingly leaping into the flames once more.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter Nine; The_** **_Infinite_** **_Kiss_**

 _ **** A/N ****_

 ** _This chapter contains mature sexu_** al **_content_** \- **_and quite a_** **_bit of fluff xD ..._**

Somehow, at some point Adam and Ava ended up on the bed and he couldn't recall how they had gotten there, nor did he care.

Lost in the sweet caress of Ava's tender embrace, everything else paled to insignificance. Nothing which lay beyond the boundaries of her shambolic, humble room was of any importance anymore.

There was no fire in the grate but their bodies clung to each other, creating their own delicious, sizzling heat.

To Adam this was by far the most wonderful room in the world.

They were here, together. There was no bickering or taunting, and no more pretence. Just centuries worth of unveiled emotion and affection.

They kissed and kissed as though their lives depended on it, their arms encircling each other tightly, like a pair of star-struck youths encountering the heady flushes of true love for the first time.

He was mindful to keep his arduous passion measured, not wanting to lose control and ravish her again so soon after having inflicted the wound on her neck.

The sensual urge to take possession of her tiny, perfect body was strong, but he silently reminded himself that there would be time enough for that. Time was something they had an abundance of, and for once in his eternally long life he was grateful for it.

He could be patient, he assured himself, as he relished the new exciting experience of having her in his arms.

He was going to thoroughly enjoy exploring every part of this wild, exotic creature. His intention was to become intimately acquainted with her mind as well as every soft curve of her body in turn, and he had an eternity in which to do it.

A bolt of exhilarated anticipation seared through his body at the prospect.

Her tongue was sensual and alive as she entwined it around his tentatively, and he couldn't help but feel foolish for the time he had spent idly fretting.

All those wasted years deliberating and wallowing in denial, when he could have been doing this.

What a complete idiot he had been.

During what seemed like the millions of hours they spent kissing, Ava felt almost drunk on desire, her head foggy and dizzy as Adam's deliciously sinful lips caressed hers over and over again. Taking their sweet time, exploring, tantalising and arousing in the most tenderest of ways.

She found herself thankful for the light dusting of stubble on his jaw, as her chin grew raw from the glorious friction of his face grazing hers.

It made the situation pleasurably real.

Serving as a reminder that this was not an exquisite dream, it was actually happening.

After all this time, after she'd all but given up hope on ever having him for her own, finally her fantasies had become a reality.

Her persistence had paid off

Eventually they had fallen asleep, Adam having succumbed first to the most peaceful slumber he had known in decades.

Carefully and quietly Ava readied herself for bed, changing back into her floral robe before curling up beside his manly frame contentedly.

He awoke feeling rested and revitalised, smiling once more when he found Ava already awake, coiled against his body, their foreheads touching.

She had barely slept due to the uncontainable excitement she felt in relation to the transition they were undergoing. Sleep had eluded her, and when she had finally begun to yawn it was with great reluctance she yielded to her tiredness.

Unwilling to miss a moment of this, of him.

She beamed at him now, unmistakable adoration in her expressive, doe eyes. Her visage glowing with elation.

"I can always sense when I'm being watched."

He informed her, the smile audible in his voice.

"Ooh, how very perceptive of you."

She teased.

"Is that part of your spooky action thing?"

"Spooky action at a distance is a proven thing."

"What is it exactly? You never did tell me."

He moved himself back slightly to take hold of her hand, holding it up in order to demonstrate.

"Quantum entanglement...when you separate an entwined particle and you move both parts away from the other, even at opposite ends of the universe, if you alter or affect one the other will also be altered or affected."

Placing his much larger hand over her dainty one, he laced his slender fingers through hers, emphasising his point.

"It happens when two particles are so deeply linked, they basically share the same existence."

Blinking rapidly, she felt her chest tighten as the gravity of his words penetrated her heart.

"Your poem, the one about the link between your heart and mine..."

Her words trailed off as she began to comprehend the importance of what he was explaining to her now.

Could it be possible that he actually believed they were made for each other? That they were destined to be together? And that whatever their souls were made of, his and hers were the same?

"Yes Ava. I've always had spooky action vibes around you. That's how I found you that night in Paris. I just didn't understand it then, or perhaps I didn't want to."

"Oh Adam, why did you never say anything?"

"I was _married_ to Eve."

"You _still are_ married to Eve."

She pointed out bluntly.

"Yes but we're no longer together and..."

He grew quiet, considering his next words carefully.

"...and she knows now."

"Knows _what_?"

"About...about _us_. She's always known there was something there, an attraction. She told me."

Ava looked momentarily panic-stricken and deeply confused.

He felt her grip tighten protectively around his palm, and brought it up to his lips, kissing the the back of her hand softly.

"She's fine with it Ava. There's no need to worry."

"She...she is?"

Ava spluttered, her head reeling with shock as she contemplated the idea of her sister not only knowing that she shared a mutual attraction with her husband, but that she was also perfectly accepting of the concept.

"Then...then why were you still so reluctant to-"

"Because I'm a coward and I was afraid to take a risk."

He cur her off quickly, sensing what she was about to say.

His honest, self-depreciating remark surprising Ava somewhat.

"Not to mention _this_...this is something else I was afraid of."

He moved the tousled tresses of her hair and gently ran his fingertips over the bruised puncture wounds that adorned the side of her neck.

He perceptibly blanched as he inspected them, crushing feelings of guilt returning.

Sensing his remorse, she attempted to alleviate his concern. Absentmindedly playing with a stray lock of his unruly hair as she spoke, twirling it around her finger.

"Don't be silly, I honestly didn't mind. It did scare me a bit at first because I wasn't expecting it, and it did hurt...but..."

He waited with bated breath for her to complete her sentence as she deliberately drew out the lengthy pause, delighting in having him hang on her every word.

But as she raised her eyes to meet his, she suddenly felt overwhelmed by the sincerity and the tender vulnerability right there before her. A haunting shade of innocence she'd never dared dream of witnessing in him.

"But what?"

He eagerly urged her to continue as he gazed at her from beneath his velvety eyelashes.

"But...it was _amazing_ Adam."

" _Amazing_? In what way?"

"Oh don't ask me to explain, it just was. I already told you it felt right. It felt incredible...you, you felt incredible."

Flattered and abashed by her compliment, he tried to look unfazed but felt his face heat up alarmingly, blushing in a way he hadn't since the long forgotten days of his youth.

Straining upwards she placed a kiss on his forehead, and he felt her smile against his creased brow.

"Anyhow, I'll take it as a compliment, seeing as I'm the only one you've ever been tempted to bite."

She reflected on this for a moment, her playful smile widening.

"You must find me quite irresistible!"

He arched a dark eyebrow in amusement, and his mouth kicked up at the corner.

"You have _no idea_."

Moving above her, she dissolved into a fit of giggles as his upper body came down over hers, threading his arms beneath her petite frame.

"But I'll be _more_ than happy to show you."

He whispered salaciously against her ear.

The vibration of his voice sent a tingle along her spine, and she closed her eyes. Her heartbeat thudded and quickened as she absorbed his exquisite male scent and heat, welcoming his loving attention as she trailed her hands across the broad expanse of his bare back.

He exhaled as her touch scorched him, her fingertips burning a path across his skin.

"Mmm, please do. And maybe this time I'll get to sample a taste of _you_ , beautiful."

He stilled abruptly, every nerve in his body immediately standing on end.

Unsure of precisely what had affected him, her calling him 'beautiful' in the manner of a pet name which he wasn't yet accustomed to, or her expressing a desire to feed on him...or something else.

A disturbing thought which suddenly dawned on him, bringing with it an unsettling, nagging doubt.

He drew back and straightened, studying her face intently.

His expression altered. Darkened.

The thought that hadn't previously occurred to him until now sent a wave of intolerant jealousy cascading over him, threatening to drown him with it's enormity.

"What's the matter?"

Sensing the shift in his mood, Ava cautiously lifted her arm and stroked the side of his face.

He leaned into her touch, but his expression remained clouded.

"Is that what happened with Ian? Was it bloodlust Ava?"

" _What? No_!"

"But you said you got carried away. They were your words, and you admitted you found him attractive."

He accused, his voice sounding uncharacteristically strained.

"I said he was cute that's all. He certainly wasn't hot enough to get me that excited, and I told you I didn't even sleep with him."

"What about your husband then? You turned him. You could've turned Ian to prevent him dying but you didn't. So was it different with Richard?"

He persisted leadenly.

"Of course _not_. Seriously Adam, it was nothing like that I promise. I only turned him because he wanted me to. That was part of the deal."

He tried to mask his scepticism, desperately wanting to believe her. Her honest open face told him that she was speaking the truth, but the dubious insanity he felt at not being able to possess her, to have her eyes forever glued to his at the exclusion of all others, caused his stomach to cramp with irrational insecurity.

"I didn't let him bite me, you're the only one to do that since I was turned..."

She went on, willing her love for him to make him listen.

"...I made a puncture in my wrist, like in 'Interview with the Vampire.' He fed from that-"

"The what interview?"

"It's a film. Tom Cruise plays a brilliant vampire, haven't you seen it? God I adore that movie!"

"No, and I've no idea who that is."

He wrinkled his nose to show his distaste, and she laughed. Relieved that the moment had lightened.

"You need to watch more movies Adam, and go out.."

She encouraged, mentally crossing her fingers in the hopes of persuading him.

"...we could go out tonight? Take a walk along the embankment, check out some live music in the basement bars. You'd _love_ it."

"Go out?"

He looked genuinely puzzled, as if the thought had never dawned on him before.

"I don't think so Ava, and I highly doubt I would love it."

"I'll let you drive the car."

She tempted, her face taking on a daydream expression as she began to envisage their future together.

"Don't be so boring, you have to start living again and forget about the past. None of that matters anymore. What's important is here and now, you and me."

" _You and me._ "

He echoed, looking almost boyish as his cares lifted from him.

A part of him still feared that he wasn't able to give her what she really wanted. What she needed and thrived on.

Excitement.

But her loving enthusiasm was infectious, and suddenly the possibility of emerging from the darkness of his isolated existence was enticingly appealing.

And she was right, the past needed to be laid to rest once and for all.

She was his future, this could be his new lease of life.

"Since when have _you_ been so bloody wise?"

He exclaimed, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Leaning forwards she draped her arms around his neck, and raining soft kisses down upon his face she riposted,

"Since I found the love of a good man."

Emboldened by the knowledge that he loved her as she did him, she forced him to recline and he happily complied, already eager to hear her racing breath, all hot and heavy echoing inside his mouth once more.

Moving on top of him, she gave in to the wanton place inside of her, straddling his narrow waist, moving sinuously against him. Registering with satisfaction the effect her actions had, as he eagerly brought his hips upwards to meet her.

The growing weight of blood in his veins rushing to swell at his groin.

She had ignited his insatiable passion, his certain hands snaked beneath the soft chiffon material of her robe, gliding over the smooth skin which lay beneath.

His touch made her whimper, and she closed her eyes to submerge herself in the sensory pleasure.

The skin of his fingertips, ever so slightly rough from years of guitar playing, were unsurprisingly skilled as they intimately explored every inch of her, before moving to her belt, impatiently working the knot loose.

She felt the gentle tug as it relented, followed by cool air, and his passion-filled eyes on her. Unblinking, ever-perceptive and filled with need, they roved over her marvellous form in awe, revelling in her nudity. The deep pink flush which appeared across her chest, betraying her arousal.

She dared to chance a look at him and was stunned by all the different emotions she saw there. Lust, passion, adoration, and of course...love.

Neither Richard, nor the mere handful of men she had known carnally over the years had ever looked at her like this. As though she were the only woman in the entire world.

" _Shit_ , Ava."

He breathed raggedly.

"You're so _fucking_ beautiful."

Her heart swelled at his words, at his his unexpected, almost unwilling worship. And as well as increasing her need for tenderness the heady feeling made her needy, greedy.

More than aware that he was hard between her legs, she rocked brazenly against his covered erection.

The welcome scrap of his towel against her bare skin felt amazing but she was throbbing away, desperate for more as his hands continued their exploratory descent.

There had been many times when Ava had wished she were someone else. Someone prettier, someone more elegant and eloquent, someone...better.

Someone like Eve.

But in this moment she was so deliriously happy to be her.

Surging forwards, his lips lustily sought out the middle valley between the mounds of her pert breasts, savouring the sensation of her tender skin.

His groin pulsated and ached, the burning need to shed the towel in order to avail himself to her luxurious, welcoming heat, increasing in intensity.

He honestly thought he could take no more as she throbbed damply against his hard shaft, pushing him to the brink of insanity once again.

Unable to stand it, he tore his mouth away from her breasts with a gasp, and in one speedy manoeuvre flipped her onto her back.

Squealing with surprised delight, she saw him hesitate a moment to drink in the sight of her rare, unveiled beauty, and she shifted nervously beneath his heated gaze.

She was magnificent to Adam, and the vision of her with her thick swathes of golden hair fanned out across the surface of the bed, and her brown eyes so full and deep as they locked on his, would forever be burned into his memory.

Her small rosebud mouth was sinful, open, and inviting.

Her body was like precious marble. Creamy white skin teased and tantalised his dilated pupils, and he stared in unashamed bliss whilst his hands explored her legs, sliding from knee to inner thigh.

Lowering himself back down, he trailed teasing kisses along her navel, moving lower and lower, his hair tickling her stomach as he edged further south.

His intentions were blindingly clear, and she quivered in anticipation as he settled himself between her legs, his strong hands firmly pressing her thighs apart.

Ava was not a religious person, but had she been that way inclined then he would unquestionably be considered a demon or even a devil.

Seductively tempting her into the realm of the sinful and impure, she would gladly follow and shatter the commandments on the spot with him. Even if it meant her soul being eternally damned, she'd never felt so heaven bound.

"Oh my _God_!"

She exclaimed, as he pressed his hot mouth to her most intimate area. Her hands grasped at his shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh as he nuzzled into her, searching for that most secret spot with unbridled enthusiasm.

A low growl escaped his lips, reverberating against her tingling skin as he lapped at her greedily, savouring the sweet elixir which was rivalled in sublimity only by that which flowed through her veins.

His roaming hands were far from idle, searching upwards to simultaneously fondle and tease her breasts as she writhed beneath his touch.

His deft fingers, his formidable tongue, his expert teasing licks sent hot sparks of pleasure throughout her entire body. The sweet maddening tension tightening and spreading.

Her breath came out in small pants until her throat went dry, and her hands fisted into his shaggy dark mane with desperation.

His large hands slid beneath her buttocks, lifting her as though she were an offering to devour.

His lips, his tongue, were perfect and she involuntarily bucked against his skilled mouth,

She was certain she would snap under the pressure of the tightening, as he relentlessly continued, working her towards the pivotal of all pleasures.

The fluttering dips made her tremble all over, and her need for relief reached a feverish pitch.

"Adam...please... _please_."

She begged for him to give her life or take it, just as with the softest nudge of the tip of his tongue, he skilfully pushed her into sweet oblivion.

Threads of pleasure rippled down her trembling legs into the very soles of her feet as she came on his tongue, unraveling like a ball of twine.

Crying out, her back bowed and her limbs shook with the intensity of her climax.

Her vision faded to black, and the only sound she heard was the palpitating thrum of her heart.

Releasing her from his clutch, he ceased his tantalising assault and lingered over the swell of her clit, watching her transfixed. Revelling in having witnessed her come undone.

The fierce heat that pumped through his veins bordered on painful, stirring his lust even further.

He needed to take her. He wanted to fill her, to satisfy her every need and end his suffering by becoming one with her again.

Her senses returned as she became aware of his presence hovering higher above her.

Smoothing her hands over the granite muscles of his biceps, she attempted to hoist him upwards, guiding him along her body, urging him to lie atop her.

His mouth found hers, devouring her lips in a frenzy. She arched into him, the sensation sublime, pressing her breasts into his bare chest, as all the while his tongue dove deeper with heightened excitement.

Overwhelmed by the impatient need to feel him, she ran her hands along the solid wall of abdominal muscle, he shifted beneath her caress, his nerves jumping and tensing as she yanked the towel down vigorously, allowing his large erection to spring free.

Crushing his groin against hers, he let out a guttural moan as he felt the wet, scorching heat of her core burning against him.

He would surrender to the maddening lust now, but take her slowly, intimately, sensually. Applying more care, tenderness and affection than when his fervent need had last subjugated him.

It would take great restraint, not ravaging this erotic force of nature. The agonising want pinned him to the ground like a tethered animal, enslaved by instinct. Driven by the primal need to have her. Like a stallion in heat.

She reached down between their bodies and carefully took him in her hand. He felt heavy as he throbbed against her palm, his rigid length swollen and anxious; completely prepared and aimed for entering her.

He held his breath as she guided him towards her pooling entrance. Wavering against her, he nudged between her folds teasingly. Purposely delaying penetration.

" _Adam_."

She rasped, a slight whine detectable in her voice as she impatiently reached down and clasped her hands to his taut buttocks in a desperate attempt to spur him on. Silently urging him to end her misery.

Seemingly overcome with lust, or perhaps as an act of pity he ranked himself between her shaky thighs and painstakingly slowly slid into her exquisite heat, like an eel into oil.

She inhaled deeply and for a few moments they remained absolutely still, staring into each other's eyes, breathing in rhythm.

Ava surrendered all conscious thought to wave after wave of pure physical sensation. She had never felt more in tune with her own body, with someone else's body.

Yes, the rear mounting of their previous and first encounter had been raw, frenzied and passionately magnificent, but this was the closeness she had yearned for.

Without breaking eye contact he slowly began to move, pushing and retracting gently. The initial discomfort she felt from his impressive size, rapidly gave way to sensual rapture.

"Ooh...God."

She breathed, instinctively harmonising with his slow, pumping motion.

" _Don't stop_ Adam."

Emitting a gruff moan, he flexed forward. Propping himself up on one elbow, forcing their bodies closer as he increased his pace ever so slightly.

"I don't _ever_ want to fucking stop."

They were moving, moving with the uninhibited determination of two lovers conjoined.

Completely lost in the moment, she brought her slim legs up, crossing them at the ankle behind him, enabling him to push deeper.

All the while they moved with mesmeric synchronicity.

Wrapping her arms around his flexing back, Ava's hands caressed his sharp shoulder blades, all her limbs encompassing him tightly. Trapping him to her. She never wanted to let him go, or be without him.

Adam was lost to the natural movement of their bodies as he kept on thrusting, Implanting himself as deeply as possible, his hips moved in a steady pace against her. Creating perspiration where they touched.

The feel of him moving in and out of her, so smooth, so slick, like two well-oiled pieces of machinery that were designed to fit together perfectly when conjoined. Working in perfect hydraulic harmony.

Each dive inwards met with an outward rush of pleasure.

Imagery flooded his mimd as he pumped away smoothly, envisaging his swollen cock sliding in and out of her with fluid motion, wet with her liquid desire.

Her eyes flickered shut as her need for release threatened to swallow her whole.

She raked her nails down his back like a feral feline, and then plunged her hands into his hair, her fingertips and fresh sweat sculpting it into a bed-tousled mess.

He drove into her harder. His thrusts so strong and deep, the marvelous friction sent hot shards of contractions splintering through her.

" _Oh my God._.. _Adam!...God I love you_."

He rewarded her by skilfully moving his pelvis in a tight circle, the rotation of which she felt deep inside, making her pulse beat perceptibly in her throat.

"I love you Ava, I love you _so fucking much_."

He hissed coarsely against her shoulder.

His hands grabbed the sheets around her head, and his arms tightened around her.

"Say you're mine...I _need_ to hear you say it."

His voice was intense and matched his actions, as he returned to his previous forward pumping motion. Fucking her with a rabid, focused intensity.

Her hands smoothed down the tensing muscles in his lean back, tracing the tracks of raised scratch marks that had formed on his supple skin.

She glided her fingers across the toned curve of his buttocks, feeling his rhythmic thrusting beneath her touch as well as deep inside, was the most beautiful, sensual experience she'd ever known. What he did between her soft thighs was nothing short of miraculous.

"I...I'm yours Adam...I'll always be yours... _oh God_!"

She stiffened beneath him as the heat that had been building flooded her like a sensory whirlpool of delirious intensity.

Her orgasm was so different to the fantastic ones which had drenched her sofa the previous night, and the glorious jumpy, sharp one conducted by the rhythm of his sinful tongue.

It was deceptively longer, seemingly lasting for minutes rather than moments. There was no violent shudders, yet it felt deeper somehow, erupting magnificently slowly from deep inside as if from the fabric of her being, and filtering outwards until she felt it in her very bones.

He stilled immediately the instant he realised her climax had hit. Waiting until she calmed, and feeling himself drift further towards the edge of ecstasy, he likewise felt compelled to calm himself.

Impulsively he rolled over in the bed, taking her with him as he repositioned himself beneath her, their bodies becoming entangled in the dishevelled sheets.

She stifled a gasp and leaned towards him so that their noses were only a fraction apart. Ensuring her movements were making the most of him, she rolled her hips against his.

"Mmm, I _like this_ Adam. I get to watch you come."

She purred.

"I'm afraid you won't have to wait very long for that."

He managed, as instinct led him to jerk his pelvis upwards to meet her grinding.

She moved to catch his mouth with her lips, their tongues entwining hungrily.

Tangling his long fingers through her wild cascade of hair, he tugged on it gently, whilst he shifted to enhance sensitivity as they gained momentum. His sole purpose, to make her come one final time before he did.

They broke for air, their breath now coming in hampered gasps as he touched her ribs and smoothed over her slender waist before slipping his hands under the mounds of her buttocks, lifting her slightly to increase leverage.

She yelped as the sweet sensation intensified.. nearing...nearing once more as his long fingers splayed across her bare cheeks, guiding and moving her but following a gentle pace.

He sensed her primal hunger as his eyes fused with hers, and as she threw her head back the sight of her fangs confirmed his belief that her salacious appetite for him now extended far beyond the physical.

The desire to indulge her overruled any previous reservations he may have had.

On the contrary, all apprehension was replaced by an illicit longing to be on the receiving end, to combine the pleasure with pain and feel her sink those razor-sharp incisors into his pulsating artery.

As if possessed by instinct, she buried her face against him.

He felt the warm, wet scrape of teeth across his collar bone, her full lips and small tongue licking and tasting his sweet-salty skin as she feathered soft kisses up and along his neck.

The craving to feed off her new lover, the love of her life, was unbearably irresistible.

As he teetered on the brink he willingly surrendered all senses to the wild, erotic symphony of bliss. Their sublime poetry of flesh, and fleetingly pondered over the question 'since when was heaven so deliciously obscene?'

" _Do it Ava_!"

He prompted suddenly in a rough, desperate tone.

She understood, and displayed no resistance or hesitation.

Despite his bold command, he still wasn't quite fully prepared for the sharp penetrating sting, as she plunged her teeth deep into his flesh with surprising ferocity, and the pain-diffusing surge of adrenaline that followed.

Her movements sped, riding him hard as he drove into her with greater force. Push, retract, push, retract, push...

They bathed their senses in the extravagant pleasure.

Her desperate suckling on his punctured vein added to the sensory overload and sent him hurtling abruptly beyond the point of no return, just as an equally defeating, sudden orgasm crept up on her.

Reaching out, his hands balled into the sheets at his sides, his entire body shaking aggressively beneath her as he felt himself internally falling, crashing and collapsing in on himself.

" _Oh_ _shit!...oh fuck!..Fucking hell!_ "

He cursed, his last words dissolving into a low groan as his climax peaked and racked his body.

She drank deeply until her breathlessness no longer made it possible. He tasted every bit as delicious as he looked and felt.

Gasping and moaning as his release spilled inside her with such force, her moans turned to cries of euphoria as flames engulfed her from the inside out.

"Oh... _Adam_!"

A violent pleasure whiplashed through her body like white-hot flashes of lightning splitting through the dark unknown.

It took a great amount of effort for her to prise open her heavy lids, but she succeeded, focusing on his devilish features, now shimmering with sweat, as he gazed up at her, barely coherent, his eyes like two glistening obsidian pools

She felt herself crumple, and they moved in unison to roll over in the bed, their legs entwined with each others. Tangled up in the damp, twisted sheets. Shaking, kissing, sweating and sighing.

They lay in satiated silence save for their shared panting, and Ava examined him with keen interest.

His face was more mature, more shuttered than ever before, and impossibly handsome.

His features seemed to be carved from stone. She knew every line, each texture. And now she actually wholeheartedly believed she knew the man...the inner man who had remained an enigma even to his closest friends. The likes of Byron, Bowie and Marlowe...who incidentally had all passed on now.

She decided in that instant to strive to become his friend, not just his lover. She would prove to him she was capable of maturity and together they could embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Learning to exist as a couple, as well as reclaiming the parts of themselves that had been lost over the centuries.

No one had ever made her feel the way Adam made her feel. And she knew in her heart of hearts they never would.

Of course there were sides to him she didn't completely know, and many parts of him she didn't understand. But it did not matter to her and it never had.

It was those blank spaces that made her want to be closer, and what made her feel so comfortable around him.

Perhaps those empty spaces would no longer scare him if she could fill the void with her love and devotion.

Licking her lips absentmindedly, the sublime taste of his blood reminded her that they already had an advantage over most lovers.

He had permitted her to feed off him. They were now forever locked together in a most sacred, primal bond, having shared the infinite kiss. Their blood had mingled. Now they truly were one.

Adam moved now in order to press a kiss to the top of her damp head, then pulled her into his strong arms.

Who knew what they'd begun, but the sense of the unknown only made him more determined to bask in this love that the universe had finally granted him.

His rapid heartbeat gradually slowed to its regular rhythm and he felt himself drifting off into a contended slumber.

She allowed him to doze for a short while, until she could suppress her giddiness no longer.

"Adam... _Adam_."

She whispered impatiently, gently nudging him awake with her elbow.

"Hm"

He murmured sleepily.

"Come on Adam, let's go out."

"What?"

He groaned in protest as she disentangled herself from his long muscular legs, and rose excitedly from the bed.

"It'll be so cool, just you and me. Hanging out...come on. We're going to have so much fun together."

He didn't share her optimism, and responded by pulling her discarded robe over his head. Inadvertently breathing in the beautiful flowery scent of her.

When he failed to move, she lifted it, bringing her face closer with a girlish giggle.

"Peek-a-boo, I see-"

"No. Don't dare say it."

He grumbled as he fought to keep the smile from his face.

Giggling even more, she snatched the robe from him and hastily slipped into it.

"Ava you're brutal."

He lay with his eyes closed until the the sound of the shower being turned on, roused him.

He heaved a heavy sigh, and somewhat begrudgingly resigned himself to the inevitable.

"Well I guess I'm getting up then."


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten: Epilogue_**

" _And by strange alchemy of brain_

 _His pleasures always turn'd to pain —_

 _His naivete to wild desire —_

 _His wit to love — his wine to fire —_

 _And so, being young and dipt in folly_

 _I fell in love with melancholy..."_

 ** _One year late_** r

Adam gazed out across the inky waters of the Thames, his unruly mane of dark hair tousled into a cats-cradle by the brisk breeze which rolled in across the river.

He found his glacial eyes leaving the beauty of the velvet blue sky, and peering down into the murky depths as he paused for a moment of silent reflection.

His past and himself had always been two separate countries. Countries that were at war with each other.

But now finally, he realised as he stood leaning on the bridge in quiet contemplation, that he was now at peace with the ghosts of his past.

Where once this had been a broken city, embracing a broken man...he now dared to dream of the future.

And he owed it all to Ava.

She had forced him to confront his demons, and whilst he would never be able to chase them from his mind, with Ava's influence, he had at least succeeded in forging a peace treaty with them.

He could not change who he was, anymore than he could change what he was and what he had done.

In his youth he had taken more than his fair share of lives.

With a vivacious appetite, he had used his beguiling charms to entice many a young woman to her death; seducing her with poetry and false flattery, only to feast upon her flesh then discard her lifeless body unceremoniously into the very waters he now stood above.

There were many a body dumped into the Thames back then. Victims of epidemics such as tuberculosis, cholera, and scarlet fever. Diseases that posed no great threat to his kind, but had swept through the city, killing off whole families.

Such times were foreign to the zombies now. They had no idea how fortunate they were to be living such pampered, 21st century lives.

He still despaired for their kind and what they had become. Only when the last tree was cut down, and and the last stream poisoned would they perhaps realise that you cannot eat money.

But even in his fleeting moments of melancholy, he realised with unforgiving clarity the cloud of fear he saw over life, awaiting for the grotesque house of cards humanity had built to come tumbling down, was not his concern or responsibility.

He couldn't mourn the destruction of the world, or keep agonising over irreversible mistakes made by mankind.

He alone couldn't change the world, just as he couldn't change his own mistakes.

And there had been many.

His remorse and shame had eventually consumed him, like The Picture of Dorian Gray, he had long ago made a pact with the devil and become one himself.

This had almost been his undoing.

Dancing along the fine line between sanity and the insane, his grief and self-loathing had driven him into a long life of reclusiveness and depression.

But Ava had given his life new meaning.

Like the siren of legend, she had beckoned him with loving eyes and fingers, and like a lost soul he had swam to her, deciding that if death were to be his bride, then so be it.

But he hadn't ended up broken on the rocks. Instead she had guided him to calmer waters, and eventually, the shore, where he now knew peace.

They had grown, and evolved together. They complimented each other well.

She like April skies, with sunlight in her eyes and fire in her heart.

He like a dark angel cast out of heaven.

She was the yin to his yang. They were living incarnations of light and dark, each complimenting and balancing the other.

At last he had found happiness, and she had taught him that he deserved it.

She had become his muse. His inspiration.

That morning he had taken pen to paper and written new song lyrics which although melancholic, still reflected the love he felt for her...

 _ **"I keep a spade by my side. I'm unsure for what the reason. It will either dig me out of a hole or help make my grave. I change my mind daily on its purpose.**_

 _ **I only hope you will be there to either brush the dirt from my face, or lay a flower down onto my final resting place."**_

Just then the sound of the heels on her Mary Jane shoes came clip-clopping toward him, and he found himself smiling.

He did that a lot more these days. It suited him, so Ava said.

"Adam..."

She reached out and gently touched the arm of his leather jacket.

"Adam, you need to hurry up. They're all waiting for you."

"Sorry, I was just...taking a breather. Enjoying the night air."

Ava hesitated, a worried frown forming on her small brow.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to tell the guys you need a few more minutes? They'll understand."

Adam shook his head, and turned to offer Ava his arm.

"I'm pretty sure they'll be pissed off if they have to play their set without the lead guitarist. The crowd won't be understanding."

"Lead guitarist AND new lead vocalist!"

She pointed out, slipping her dainty arm through his.

"But fuck them."

She remarked with all the flippancy that he had grown to love.

"If you're not feeling up to this, then you don't have to do it. I know you're nervous."

Adam laughed, as they began making their way back along the embankment.

"I am, admittedly, feeling a little nervous. But it's all about facing your fears isn't it?"

Ava rubbed his arm tenderly with her other hand.

"Yes! And you'll be great. They'll love you. How could they not?"

"You, are biased."

"True. But that doesn't alter the fact that you're amazing, Adam!"

Adam halted, and gazed down his imperial nose at her. His eyes shining with uninhibited adoration.

"Thank you, Ava."

"For what?"

She gulped, taking in his stoic expression.

Serious Adam.

"For everything. For your unshakable faith in me. For forcing me to overcome my fears. For being wonderful. For...being you."

"Are you sure everything is alright, Adam? You're not feeling low are you? Is that why you came outside, to be by yourself? Alone with your thoughts and all that jazz?"

"Not at all."

He replied honestly.

"I just wanted to admire the blue hour."

"The what?"

"Blue hour...it's a natural phenomenon that occurs when the sun is at a significant depth below the horizon. Basically the residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade. It's been a long time since I was awake this early in the evening to see it."

The couple set off walking again, their steps falling into pace as they made their way back to the bar where Adams' band was about to play to an audience of eager fans who had built up over the past six months.

"That's what I love about you. You teach me something new every day...tell me more."

She comfortably leaned her head against the space beneath his armpit whilst they walked.

She'd be more than happy to live there, close to his heart and safe from harms way, sheltered by his love.

"Well, red light from the sun passes straight into space, while blue light is scattered in the atmosphere, so reaches Earth's surface. But on a clear day, it's spectacularly beautiful and colourful. There's shades of yellow, green and orange. The light paints the sky like a canvas, in colours that the garish light of day can only dream of."

"I love how you explain things, Adam...you have a beautiful, poets soul. Don't ever change."

 ** _THE END_**


End file.
